At A Glance
- Rising above everyone despite being undersized in his position, Rhenz Abando proved that hustle and persistence can make him a valuable asset in the national team.
By MARK REY MONTEJO
Rising above everyone despite being undersized in his position, Rhenz Abando proved that hustle and persistence can make him a valuable asset in the national team.

The pride of La Union turned heads in the FIBA Basketball World Cup with his boundless energy that wowed the crowd and even made a lasting impression on his opponents.
Feeling the love of the Filipino fans, he wished the victory over China in Gilas' final game last Saturday, Sept.2 could have served as a relief to their frustrations after getting four straight losses from the group stage to the team's first classification game.
"Siyempre dapat masaya pa rin, proud parin sila,” Abando said.
“Kahit papaano naibsan namin yung galit ng iba [dahil] nakakuha rin kami ng isang panalo,” he added.
The Anyang KGC guard was one of the catalysts in Gilas' run against the Chinese squad, blocking NBA cager Kyle Anderson which turned up the energy for the Nationals and also sparked a wild celebration from the fans.
He finished with 14 points and five rebounds and averaged 5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in five games.