Filipino-American guard Joshua Munzon will skip this year's PBA Rookie Draft to continue pursuing the country's 3x3 Olympic aspirations, he said.
Munzon is one of the torchbearers of the fledgling 3x3 basketball circuit in the country, and is ranked 105th in the world, the best among Filipinos.
The 24-year-old is now the third player behind second-ranked Alvin Pasaol and third-ranked Santi Santillan to forgo entry in Asia's first pro hoops league in order to focus their craft on this basketball variety. The PBA Rookie Draft is scheduled on December 8.
He, along with Troy Rike, Dylan Ababou, and Franky Johnson comprise Pasig Chooks, the top 3x3 squad in the archipelago.
A graduate of Cal State Los Angeles in the US NCAA Division II, the 6'4 Munzon played as heritage import in the ASEAN Basketball League for the Saigon Heat and the Westports Malaysia Dragons, where he normed 21.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
He was picked first overall by AMA in the 2019 PBA D-League Rookie Draft before going full time with the Chooks to Go Pilipinas 3x3 tournament.
With the country within grasp of a spot in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) or the Universal Qualifying Tournament (UQT), Munzon has the next 12 months set on continuing what he had started earlier in the year.
The Philippines will have to wait until November 1 whether it will qualify as FIBA will announce on that date the 24 participants of the OQT and UQT. Ranked 61st at the start of 2019, the Philippines has leapt over 40 spots to as high as 20th, just before FIBA closed its rankings to the public.
"Ever since then, I want to finish this commitment I made to [Pasig] and our country," said Munzon.
"This one's really special because it's the dream of my family to me and represent the country, play for Gilas one day. It's a huge honor," he added.
If the Philippines' last-ditch efforts propels them to the Top 24 of the 3x3 World Rankings, the country will participate in the OQT or UQT in March or April, 2020.
However, if the Philippines fails to make it to the OQT in India or the Summer Games itself, the country will still host several high-profile international 3x3 tournaments, headlined by a World Tour next year, where Munzon can showcase his skills.
The World Tour is the highest-level tournament any country could host outside the 3x3 World Cup.