MANILA, Philippines -- Two Filipino standouts made it to the 2024-2025 Korean Basketball League (KBL) All-Star Games.
Asian imports Ethan Alvano of Wonju DB Promy and SJ Belangel of Daegu KOGAS Pegasus finished in the Top 20 of the voting both by fans and players to fly the Philippine flag in the mid-season spectacle on January 19 at the Busan Sajik Gym in South Korea.
Alvano, a Filipino-American ace from California, placed ninth in the voting race with 37,900 fan and 49 player votes. Belangel, for his part, finished at 14th with 37,007 fan and 31 players votes.
A product of Eastern Michigan University and California State University San Marcos, Alvano last year became the first non-Korean player to win the KBL Most Valuable Player plum and he’s not yet done.
The 6-foot-0 guard is averaging 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals this season albeit his squad Wonju is sitting at fifth with a 9-10 slate.
Belangel, the two-time UAAP champion from Ateneo, is having his breakthrough season in the KBL with norms of 13.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals for the Pegasus, which has an 11-8 slate at No. 3.
Leading the All-Star Game votes is national team veteran Lee Kwan-Hee of the sixth-running Changwon LG Sakers with 80,987 fan and 55 player votes.
Kwan-Hee is the teammate of Gilas Pilipinas standout Carl Tamayo as more Filipino players will play in the KBL next year after the signing of UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao of La Salle and Finals MVP JD Cagulangan.
Quiambao will strut his stuff for the Goyang Sono Skygunners while Cagulangan will see action for the Suwon KT Sonicboom to join Tamayo, Alvano, Belangel and former Maroon Javi Gomez de Liaño of the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters.