Eyeing lucrative pro chances, Malick Diouf gets career reboot in China

Malick Diouf —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Now back in the pink of health, former University of the Philippines star Malick Diouf is looking to use his stint with the Zamboanga Valientes to open new doors for his basketball career.

“I’m in shape right now and I’m ready to go play in this league,” he told the Inquirer shortly after their last practice in Quezon City on the eve of the team’s flight to Macau on Wednesday morning, where they will open their bid in The Asian Tournament.

“I’m taking all this as a challenge. I’ll be playing against imports and lots of people who have played in leagues for more than five years. I’ll be competing against the best,” he went on.

The Zamboanga gig is officially the first pro stint for the Senegalese center, a former UAAP Most Valuable Player who had to delay his transition after going under the knife to repair a fractured wrist.

READ: Malick Diouf sees ‘good future’ in UP Maroons after his exit

He opted to shelve offers to play in Europe as he focused on rehabilitating his right hand.

“In the beginning, it was hard,” Diouf said when asked about playing again. “You know, [I’m] suddenly playing with a lot of pros and I’m coming off college. [The key is] you need to be patient because they are much older than you and they have more experience. I think this is all going to be a big help for me.”

“We’ve all seen how he plays for his school in the UAAP. The kind of play he provides is different. I know he’s gonna bring a wealth of experience, and we really need a big who runs the floor,” team owner Junnie Navarro said in Filipino.

A vital cog in three of the Fighting Maroons’ trips to the Finals that yielded a Season 84 championship, Diouf wore the smile of a giddy kid as he talked about the idea of rebooting his career while getting a chance to see countries aside from the Philippines, which has been his home for years.

“This has been home for years. I’ve only been to (South) Korea twice and Serbia for training, so that’s about it,” he shared. “It’ll be nice to see Macau, Malaysia and Taiwan.”