By MARK REY MONTEJO
High-flying guard Rhenz Abando is returning to South Korea after re-signing with his former club Anyang JKJ Red Boosters of the Korean Basketball League (KBL), the team announced Tuesday, July 29.
The 27-year-old Abando is suiting up anew for the Red Boosters, the very same squad he had played with for two years, including a KBL title win in 2023 after beating the Seoul SK Knights in Game Seven.
“Rhenz Abando is BACK! The Abando player who won the championship with Anyang Jung-gwan, is returning,” Anyang wrote.
“We hope for a good performance this season. Please give us lots of support.”
It will be the second stint for Abando on Korean soil after suffering life-threatening injuries – no thanks to Chinanu Onuaku’s dangerous push while the Filipino cage was mid-air – that limited him to just 30 games.
Aside from the championship, the 6-foot-2 Abando was also a winner of the KBL Slam Dunk contest and EASL Champions Week, which he all achieved in the same year.
In his two seasons, Abando averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 block.
He will now serve as an Asian import, replacing Javi Gómez de Liaño, who bade farewell to Anyang earlier July.
