This Filipino skills trainer helped Kevin Quiambao land a spot in a private scrimmage in US
Quiambao was in the US in July, with training sessions in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.
Last week, he was also part of a private scrimmage hosted by Excel Sports Management, which was attended by scouts and front office personnel of several NBA teams.
READ MORE | Kevin Quiambao talks about his NBA dream and recent US training
Tancioco, who founded Better Basketball and trains top collegiate and professional players, traveled to the US to meet up with his mentor, NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen, and help run sessions with NBA players at the NBA Pro Day in Las Vegas.
Upon learning that Quiambao was in the same country, Tancioco decided to lend the Pinoy baller a hand and connected him with Tim Edwards of Excel, leading to Quiambao's participation in the workout.
"'Yun talaga ang pinunta ko dito, hindi si KQ. Na-tiyempo lang na nandito siya at kailangan niya ng tulong pero ako ang purpose ko dito ay i-meet si Drew Hanlen, 'yung mentor ko," Tancioco told GMA News Online in an interview last week.
"So meron akong friend na agent, five years ko na siyang kaibigan, si Tim Edwards. Nag-fall through 'yung ibang plano ni KQ dito so minessage ko si Tim."
[That's what I came here for, not KQ. It just so happened that he was here and he needed some help but my purpose was to meet my mentor Drew Hanlen… I have a friend who's also an agent, he's been my friend for five years, Tim Edwards. KQ's other plans fell through so I messaged Tim.]
Quiambao is no stranger to Edwards.
Tancioco shared that five years ago, he sent Edwards video featuring then-rising stars Carl Tamayo and Aldous Torculas—back when they were still playing for NU Nazareth School and UP Integrated School, respectively. The goal was to ask if either had the potential to make it to US NCAA Division I.
"But surprisingly ang napansin niya doon sa video ay si Kevin Quiambao. Nu'ng pinaalala ko kay Tim, sabi niya sakto kasi 'yung agency niya, which is Excel Agency, merong private runs,' Tancioco shared.
[Surprisingly, Kevin Quiambao was the one he noticed. When I reminded Tim, he said, it was fortunate because his agency, Excel Agency, was doing private runs.]
The 24-year-old Quiambao, for his part, spoke about the work he's put in while he was in the US.
"Tutuloy-tuloy lang. Siyempre for the love of the game, and then para sa country natin kasi I'm trying to aim na maging first Filipino full-blooded na makapasok sa NBA," Quiambao told GMA Integrated News' Martin Javier.
"Nothing is impossible naman."
[I just keep going. Of course, for the love of the game and for the country also because I'm trying to aim to become the first Filipino full-blooded player to make it to the NBA... Nothing is impossible.]
—with reporting from Martin Javier/JMB, GMA Integrated News
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