B.LEAGUE free agent Matthew Wright is back in Manila to join the Gilas Pilipinas squad gearing up for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Is a PBA comeback imminent for Matthew Wright?
Wright was naturally asked this question after conducting a basketball clinic for the Japan B.LEAGUE Hoop Festival in BGC on Sunday morning, Nov. 23.
Wright admitted returning to Phoenix in the PBA is an option after becoming a free agent in the B.LEAGUE, where he played three strong years for the Kyoto Kannaryz and the Kawasaki Brave Thunders.
“That’s also on the horizon. I’m not gonna turn that down (if an opportunity comes),” he told reporters.
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Asked if there’s an offer from the Fuel Masters, who own his rights in the PBA, the 34-year-old sniper smiled before giving an ambiguous answer.
“Well, I mean my rights is still with Phoenix. That’s allI can say at this point,” he said with a smile.
Wright played six years for the Phoenix franchise before moving on to Japan to play for Kyoto in the B.LEAGUE, which is now celebrating its 10th anniversary.
He spent two seasons with the Hannaryz before transferring to the Brave Thunders last year.
Now back in Manila to join the Gilas team gearing up for the Southeast Asian Games next month, the Filipino-Canadian cager revealed he already met with Phoenix team manager Paolo Bugia.
But nothing is cast in stone at the moment because Wright is focusing on his national team stint in the multi-sport spectacle in Thailand.
“I’ve met with Boss Bugs and we talked about the potential of me coming back. He knows right now I’m focused solely on the national team stint,” he said.
“We’re gonna reconvene after Bangkok to see what our options are and what my future holds.”
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.