Even in defeat, fans at the Hoops Dome for the East Asia Super League Final Four shower Anyang's Rhenz Abando with unconditional love.
LAPU-LAPU CITY — At the Hoops Dome here for the Final Four weekend of the East Asia Super League, it felt like Rhenz Abando was transported back in time to the FIBA World Cup.
Fans showered Rhenz’s pretty much every move with love against the SK Knights. They roared for his first rebound after checking in, and they celebrated his first triple from the second quarter like a game-winner.
“Actually when they started screaming my name, I feel like [I was] playing in the World Cup again.” Abando said, even after Anyang lost its EASL title to KBL rival Seoul SK Knights Friday.
[Related: Seoul SK Knights make third-straight EASL Finals after stopping Rhenz Abando's Anyang Red Boosters]
“That’s the first thing I remembered when I entered the arena,” added.
The loss to Seoul naturally put a damper on Abando and the Red Boosters’ weekend.
But for Rhenz in particular, he’s just counting his blessings. The semis clash against the SK Knights was his second game back from injury, and among the games he missed as he recovered was another EASL game in the Philippines against TNT back in January.
“Sobrang happy, pero at the same time disappointed,” Abando said.
“Sobrang blessed din kasi they [fans] support us even though hindi namin nakuha ‘yung game,” he added.