Basketball fans expressed dismay to the management of Gilas Pilipinas after a video claimed that the national team benched the Anyang KGC player Rhenz Abando during its games.
In a Facebook post, it showed a photo of Abando sitting on the bench while watching his teammates play.
The photo also included the text ‘Yung bangko ka sa gilas’ that made the fans disappointed.
Abando was one of the most talented Filipino basketball players today, becoming NCAA Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NCAA champion, Korean Basketball League (KBL) Slam Dunk Contest Champion and KBL 3×3 all-star game champion.
After seeing the photo, netizens urged Abando to leave Gilas and just represent other countries where he might get appreciated more.
“Ito si Renz Abando. Napaka talented. High skilled player. Mataas ang IQ at batang bata pa. Pero binangko ng Gilas. Hindi ginamit. Sinayang ang potential.” netizen David Lanas said.
“Alam niyo, minsan sa buhay hindi ikaw ang problema, nasa maling lugar ka lang. Go see and explore the world. Labas ka sa comfort zone mo. Pumunta ka kung saan ka ma aapreciate. Don’t settle for less. Realize your dreams. Di ka man umasenso dito, baka nasa ibang bansa yung success mo! Di ka man pinahalagahan sa kung saana ka ngayon, baka sa ibang lugar o bansa, ikaw pa yung magiging pinakamagaling!” he added.
Meanwhile, Abando made a cryptic post on his social media page that was interpreted by netizens as a swipe against Gilas.
“You can be worth a lot, but if you’re in a wrong place, you can never be YOU,” the photo shared by Abando reads.