Standout Filipino college basketball player Ricci Rivero said he wants to start his professional career by playing in the P.League+ as opposed to other leagues in Asia because of the sizeable Philippine community in Taiwan, his new team the Taoyuan Pilots said on Monday.
“There are nearly 150,000 Filipinos living and working in Taiwan, the mere thought of playing in front of them and being the first to represent them in one of Taiwan’s best basketball leagues is already a big motivation for me to choose Taiwan over other Asian basketball leagues,” Rivero said in a Taoyuan Pilots statement.
Although adjusting to leaving his home country could be difficult, Rivero believes the support of Filipinos in Taiwan will help, the statement said.
Screengrab from Ricci Rivero’s Facebook
“I do not make promises, but I’ll work hard. Starting my professional career in Taiwan comes with a lot of pressure, responsibility and maturity, but the decision to live [here] comes with no regrets, because I know it will help me become better,” Rivero said.
Philippine sports management agency Virtual Playground on June 24 confirmed that Rivero would be suiting up for the Pilots by showing him wearing a Pilots jersey with the caption “Ricci Rivero to Taiwan.”
Since then, Rivero has generated headlines across the Philippines and Taiwan as the first-ever import player from Southeast Asia in the world.
“I am deeply honored. The trust given by the Pilots to have me on their team as the very first Asian to become a world import in the P.League+ is also a sign of their confidence in the basketball program of the Philippines. I am excited to work hard and contribute the best way I can,” Rivero said.
Rivero played in Taiwan in 2017, when he was part of the Philippine De La Salle University basketball team who played in the Buddha’s Light International Association Cup, earning praise as one of the best players in the tournament.
“Back in 2017, the overwhelming acceptance of both Taiwanese and Filipinos was a memorable one. I hope I can live up to the expectation this time,” Rivero said.
Rivero is expected to arrive in Taiwan in October, the Pilots said.
He is the only University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball player to have won championships with two different schools.
Rivero won his first championship in 2016 during his rookie season at De La Salle University.
He then helped the University of the Philippines clinch its first championship since 1986 in May, averaging 14.67 points, 1.33 assists, 3.33 steals, and 1.0 blocks in the finals.
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
Major League Baseball (MLB) star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards he says were fraudulently bought using his money. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also requesting Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly US$17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, return signed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were in Mizuhara’s “unauthorized and wrongful possession,” court documents filed on Tuesday said. The legal filing alleges Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account beginning in about November 2021, changing his security protocols so that he
RSS