THE top Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 players led by Fil-Am swingman Joshua Munzon on Tuesday night opted not to re-sign with the now-pro league after announcing their intention to join the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft.
“Thank you Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike, and Leonard Santillan for making our country proud over the last two years. We at Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas won’t hinder you from achieving your dreams,” said the league in a Facebook post.
“Good luck on your next journey!”
With this development, Aldin Ayo, who was appointed by the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 as its new coach in lieu of Eric Altamirano earlier this month, is now forced to look for new players to continue the program.
The contracts of the four players, who powered Zamboanga City Family’s Brand Sardines to the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Grand Finals crown in the Calamba bubble last month, will expire at the end of the year.
The league has appreciated the efforts of the quartet for helping the country in securing a spot in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic qualifying tournament next year in Graz, Austria.
Munzon, together with Pasaol, Rike and Santillan are fresh from their stint in the tough Doha Masters of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour last week, where Manila Chooks TM placed 11th.
The 25-year-old Munzon completed his PBA D-League residency with AMA Online University last year and rose through the ranks to become the country’s No. 1 3×3 player.
Pasaol, who is also 25 and is a burly 6-foot-4 forward, is the second-best 3×3 player in the nations. The Davao City-native also had a D-League stint with Petron-Letran last year.
An athletic 6-foot-5 forward who hails from Lapu-Lapu City, the sixth-ranked Santillan won a UAAP men’s basketball championship for La Salle and played for Marinerong Pilipino in the D-League.
The 6-foot-8 Rike, on the other hand, also played for AMA last year, and the former National University players became one of the most successful 3×3 players.
