Would Jay Washington have been a solid contributor for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in his prime? The 4-time PBA champion and two-time BPC believes so.
MACAU—Before the end of his career, Jay Washington got to live out his dream of playing overseas.
At 40 years old, Washington got a rare opportunity to play abroad, signing a one-season deal with the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan’s B.LEAGUE in 2022.
At that age, however, the 6-foot-7 forward didn’t do much in terms of on-court production, averaging just 2.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 5.8 minutes of action.
While he remains grateful and blessed for the experience, Washington, who is now an ambassador for the East Asia Super League (EASL), still wishes to have had a few years of his prime by the time he joined the Golden Kings.
“Man, that was the hardest part—just being old,” Washington shared to reporters during the EASL Final Four 2025 here. “I wish I was 10 years younger to really show my worth. Obviously, I was super thankful to be there and play with those guys, but the whole time, I was just wishing I could have been the player I was in my prime.”
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Washington, the first overall pick in the 2005 PBA Draft, had a decorated 17-year career in the Philippines.
He suited up for TNT, San Miguel, NorthPort, and Blackwater, winning four PBA championships, two Best Player of the Conference awards, and making the Mythical Team three times.
His best season came during the 2010-2011 PBA season where Washington averaged 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
With those numbers, Washington believes that in his prime, he could have been a solid contributor in Japan.
“Easy, I could get 12-15 points. I could contribute like eight rebounds,” he said. “I’m not saying I’d dominate the B.LEAGUE—it’s a great, competitive league—but I think I could average a solid 15 and 8,” said Washington.
“It’s really cool that the younger guys have the option to play in Japan or Korea because when I was coming up, we didn’t have that option,” he added.
Since the Asia Quota Player system was introduced in the B.LEAGUE some five years ago, doors opened for local stars to try their luck abroad.
Currently, there are seven Filipino hoopers in Japan across the two divisions such as Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks Jr., Matthew Wright, AJ Edu, Kiefer Ravena, and Roosevelt Adams.
Filipinos are thriving in Korea as well, with Ethan Alvano, Carl Tamayo, SJ Belangel, Kevin Quiambao, and JD Cagulangan among the big names in the KBL Asian import scene.