LA Tenorio expressed his admiration for the rising stars of Gilas Pilipinas during training for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
The GIN-eral meets the young guns for Gilas Pilipinas.
In an Instagram post, LA Tenorio shows his support for the rising stars of the Gilas Pilipinas—Japan B. League imports Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kai Sotto, the reigning UAAP MVP in Kevin Quiambao, and former UP star Carl Tamayo.
The veteran point guard is a longtime member of Gilas Pilipinas, including when they won the silver medal in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. And now, Tenorio still plays a crucial role for the national team, as he is one of the assistants under head coach Tim Cone.
ALSO READ: Coach, player, model: Tim Cone, Justin Brownlee explain why LA Tenorio is valuable to Gilas Pilipinas
Part of LA's new Gilas job description is making sure the national team is in good hands.
And while the basketball careers of Kai, AJ, Dwight, KQ, and Carl may just be starting, they are already proving their worth.
Dwight Ramos helped anchor the Philippines during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, emerging as the top local scorer outside of Jordan Clarkson.
READ: Top 5 Gilas moments in FIBA World Cup that made you shout at the top of your lungs
AJ Edu was a revelation in the same World Cup. Apart from his impressive outings in the world championship, he also proved he can go toe-to-toe with NBA players such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Bruno Fernando.
ALSO READ: GUTS AND GLORY | Gilas silver lining AJ Edu is a beast on the court, and a gem off it
A longtime frontcourt partner to Edu, Kai Sotto is always worth a mention.
Now that he's free of nagging injuries, the Kaiju may be primed for a big leap, starting with another tour of duty with Gilas.
READ: Kai Sotto commits to play for Gilas ‘kahit anong mangyari’
The Gilas opportunity could also be beneficial for one Carl Tamayo. Tamayo has been shelved since he asked for his release from Japan B.League champion Ryukyu Golden Kings, but his latest Gilas stint could be the chance for him to re-introduce himself.
ALSO READ: Remember Gilas’ 23 for 2023 list? Guess how many made actual pool for FIBA World Cup
Last but not the least is Kevin Quiambao.
KQ has been the most talked about prospect as of late after winning MVP, Finals MVP, and the UAAP title for De La Salle in UAAP Season 86. The King Archer also had himself a solid international run with Strong Group Athletics in Dubai earlier this year.
READ: Kevin Quiambao shines vs. Beirut, as Strong Group remains undefeated in Dubai
With that, we can all agree that GIN-eral is right. The future of Gilas Pilipinas, hence of Philippine basketball, is bright.