Kevin Quiambao's first trip into professional basketball came to a crashing end early when he suffered an apparent ankle injury in the first half of Goyang Sono Skygunners' 84-57 blowout loss to the Seoul SK Knights.
Quiambao was substituted out of the game right away after a poor landing during a three-point attempt at 7:42 in the second quarter,
La Salle's two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player finished with six points on two triples and a rebound in about seven minutes of action before leaving the game.
Arrived with minimal team practice
Despite arriving in Korea a few days prior, Quiambao–also a promising piece for Gilas Pilipinas–appeared prepared for his professional league debut despite having little to no practice.
After injuring an ankle ligament in his first game with the Goyang Sono Skygunners, the two-time UAAP MVP is expected to miss at least a month due to the injury, according to Korean source Naver.
Quiambao is anticipated to return in the middle of February, raising questions about whether he would play for his country in the third window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Long-anticipated pro debut
Having been in the news since he led the Green Archers to the UAAP Season 86 title in 2023, Quiambao declared his intention to leave La Salle and turn pro in Korea late last year.
Quiambao has two more years of UAAP playing eligibility if he so chooses, but he chose to try to expand his horizons overseas in the hopes of eventually joining the NBA.
Quiambao won two consecutive UAAP MVP awards and was named the Finals MVP in Season 86.
