Amores gets new lease on career with Zamboanga Valientes in ABL

CONTROVERSIAL John Amores found a new home just months after he was banned from the collegiate league for an unruly behavior that turned out as one of the worse Philippine basketball had in 2022.

Amores was named to the 14-man lineup of the Zamboanga Valientes for the Asean Basketball League (ABL) Invitational 2023 Season 11 that kicks off Monday in Singapore.

The former Jose Rizal University player who was banned for the previous season by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) joined former NCAA star James Kwekwetei, ex-national team member Kemark Carino, JR Cawaling and imports Antonio Hester, Will Deng and Ryan Smith.

Valientes’s homegrown includes Rudy Lingganay, Jeff Bernardo, Das Esa, Gino Jumao-as, Jojo Belorio and Zamboanga City’s Denver Cadiz, perhaps the most exciting 5-foot-4 point guard, the shortest to play in the league.

“This is his chance for redemption and we’re hoping Amores will give his best,” Zamboanga Valientes team owner Junnie Navarro said. “And this is a good opportunity for every Zamboanga player to excel.”

The Zamboanga Valientes, founded in 2006, are the first Philippine city to represent the country in the ABL. They started in the National Basketball Conference Preseason, MVBA Christmas Cup and Liga Pilipinas in 2008.

The team—founded by the late Lando Navarro—won titles in the NBA Philippines 3x3 in 2011, National Basketball League Christmas Hustle in Canberra and Champions League Basketball 3x3 both in Australia.

The Cory and Junnie Navarro coowned team with MLV Accounting’s Mike Venezuela, takes on Louvre Indonesia team on Wednesday, Saigon Heat on Friday, Matrix Malaysia on Saturday and home team Singapore Slingers on Sunday.

The team flew to Singapore on New Year Day Sunday.

JOHN AMORES (standing, ninth from left) is all smiles as he joins the team photo with (standing, from left) coaches Bobodick de los Santos and Paolo Romero, Henry Arthur, Antonio Hester, Will Deng, Ryan Smith, Kemark Cariño, JR Cawaling, Marvin Frayres, Coach RJ Argamino and Jerom Ferrer, and (seated, from left) Rudy Lingganay, Denver Cadiz, Job Alcantara, Jeff Bernardo, Gino Jumao-as and Coach Oca Rebollos