Ateneo de Manila University star Kymani Ladi against Far Eastern University in his UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball debut. Photo from UAAP Media.MANILA — Kymani Ladi was a revelation for Ateneo de Manila University during his UAAP debut.
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The 6-foot-7 Filipino-American made an immediate impact for the Blue Eagles in their Season 88 men’s basketball opener, delivering 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a block in their overtime victory over Far Eastern University last Saturday.
“I loved the atmosphere here,” said Ladi, who hit the dagger three-pointer after sophomore point guard Jared Bahay took charge in crunch time for the Tab Baldwin-mentored team. “I’ve always wanted to play on a stage like this. Wow, I’ve got the opportunity, I’m taking it.
Even Baldwin was impressed with how their one-and-done recruit fared well against a Tamaraws frontline that featured Mo Konateh, saying that Ladi did well both on tangibles and intangibles.
“Their maturity is a huge asset for the team. Not that they're not going to make mistakes, they will,” the former Gilas Pilipinas mentor said, saying how Ladi is already setting an example to his new teammates.
“But more than likely, if we're going to be as successful as everybody wants us to be, the rest of the team is going to have to rise to their maturity level,” said Baldwin.
While he was as good as advertised -- at least in his first game -- there are already questions if the 23-year-old forward from Vallejo will be able to play as a local for Gilas Pilipinas, should he receive the call.
“Unfortunately, I got my Philippine passport last year, during my year of residency,” Ladi revealed to ABS-CBN News. “I'm not entirely sure how that's going to play out.”
Under current FIBA rules — especially those individuals who have dual citizenship like Ladi — only players who have received Philippine passports before they turned 16 are allowed to be considered as a local.
In the past, Greg Slaughter and Chris Newsome — incidentally both former Ateneo Blue Eagles — were eventually deemed as locals despite only having Philippine passports past the said deadline.
The appeals for the said players were previously approved by FIBA as both had already spent more than a decade playing and staying in the country, as the ex-Ateneo stars went on to complete their UAAP careers and eventually played in the PBA.
Ladi most likely needs to undergo the same path if he wants to be categorized as a local, and also be considered as an Asian quota player if he wants to play in the Korean and Japanese professional leagues after his lone UAAP year here.
For now, the only thing that he can do is become available if ever Gilas would need his services — one that may be possible as Norman Black’s Southeast Asian Games squad is yet to be completed — and Ladi is more than willing to answer that call if and when it comes.
“If I get the opportunity and it arises, I would definitely love to,” said Ladi, who also shared how the PBA is also among his choices. “The PBA would be great.
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