JAPETH Aguilar. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Japeth Aguilar’s bid to become the first Filipino to play in the NBA hit a roadblock Thursday after the forward failed to make the final lineup of the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA D-League, according to nba.com/dleague.
Aguilar was drafted in the 7th round (109th overall) by the Santa Cruz Warriors, the D-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, but unfortunately, was the last player to get waived, according to the website.
The 25-year-old Aguilar’s first step towards his NBA journey came when he transferred from Ateneo to Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers to play college basketball.
Aguilar, whose father Peter was a former PBA player, became the first Philippine-born player to play in the US NCAA Division I league.