Carl Tamayo not chasing individual accolades in KBL Finals

Carl Tamayo for the Changwon LG Sakers in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) Finals. –KBL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines —With only one win away from clinching the Korean Basketball League (KBL) championship, Carl Tamayo remains locked in for the Changwon LG Sakers.

Rather than focusing on his standout performances in the Finals, Tamayo is zeroed in on helping LG finish off the Seoul SK Knights in their best-of-seven championship series.

READ: KBL: Carl Tamayo leads Changwon to victory in finals Game 1

“I’m just trying to play hard to help the team win this series. It’s a hard series, it’s not easy,” said Tamayo after their 80–63 win over Seoul at Changwon Gymnasium on Friday.

“I’m not eyeing individual awards. I just want to win and give LG a championship. That’s it.”

A sweep, however, was taken off the table after Changwon dropped Game 4, 73–48, on Sunday.

READ: Red-hot Carl Tamayo, Changwon one win away from KBL title

Unfortunately, a sweep isn’t in the books for Tamayo as Changwon dropped Game 4 to Seoul, 73-48, on Sunday.

Still, Tamayo–who is part of the KBL’s Best 5 in the regular season–has a solid case in winning the Finals MVP plum.

But he struggled mightily in Sunday’s loss, finishing with just seven points and seven rebounds.

Changwon LG Sakers forward Carl Tamayo during the KBL Finals.–Photo from Changwon

It was a stark contrast to his performance in Changwon’s Game 3 win, where the former University of the Philippines standout delivered 18 points, six rebounds and a steal to put the Sakers on the cusp of the title.

Make no mistake, that dominant statline wasn’t a one-off performance.

In the series opener, the all-around forward dropped a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 75–66 win. Tamayo followed that up with a 27-point, seven-rebound effort in a 76–71 victory in Game 2.

The former Japanese B.League import credited his performances to staying hungry for a championship—not individual praise.

“I just have to be aggressive, stay hungry and approach the game like it’s our last.”

“KBL is a hard league. It’s not easy to play here but if people give you an opportunity to express your game and the freedom to express your game, you have to show what you can do.”

Tamayo looks to deliver on that promise for Changwon in Game 5 on Tuesday.