Members of Alab Pilipinas during the 2017 ABL Season press conference at Solaire Resort and Casino. Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net
Alab Pilipinas will be doing a lot of traveling once the 2016-2017 season of the ASEAN Basketball League tips off this November.
With the ABL’s home-and-away system, Alab will have to fly in and out of six countries and travel to its different home courts here in the Philippines for the next six months.
It may sound grueling, but Alas Pilipinas head coach Mac Cuan is looking to take advantage of their expeditions to better build the chemistry and camaraderie between his players.
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“I’m really excited about the travel because it’s where you bond as a team, because that’s where bonding happens,” said Cuan last Thursday at SportsIQ, the Inquirer’s omni-platform sports show.
The Philippines is part of the league that includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.
“Yo don’t go to your homes, you stay in one place, you eat together. That’s where the magic happens,” said Cuan.
Alab guard Jeric Fortuna, who has had his fair share of ABL action when he was part of San Miguel back in 2013, also has his sights on the competition.
“I’m excited about the competition because the ABL is different, and you have to adjust to that,” said Fortuna, who won the championship in 2013 after graduating from University of Santo Tomas.
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Lawrence Domingo, however, is also looking forward to the sights and culture of the different Asian nations while playing the sport he loves.
Domingo, who hails from the Bay Area in the United States and was born to a Filipino mother, will be on his first stint as a representative of the Philippines after graduating from Eastern New Mexico University.
“I’m really excited to see the styles of play in each country, I’ve never played overseas before so this is all new to me,” said Domingo who is also looking forward to the sneaker scene in Hong Kong. “It excites me the most and on top of that I’ve never travelled as much before.”
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Cuan said they are not solely focused on playing basketball as he wants his players to experience the culture of each of the five countries they visit.
He added he will give his players one day, after the game, to become tourists.
“It’s not only basketball, we want them to enjoy and embrace the experience,” said Cuan.