ILOILO City – The Iloilo United Royals-Cocolife squad is hoping to have actor Gerald Anderson available for their home matches in the 2023 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) later this year.
According to United Royals playing team manager Jay Javelosa, Anderson obviously has a busy schedule as an ABS-CBN actor and with his other commitments but the team hopes he can suit up in Iloilo City.
“Gerald Anderson is definitely a welcome addition to the team,” Javelosa told Panay News on Monday. “We saw here in his previous stints with other MPBL teams that he got the game.”
“But, of course, he has a busy schedule as an actor and madami din siyang basketball commitments but we are optimistic he can suit up for us in our home games because the Ilonggos were very much excited to see him in person.”
The 5-foot-11 Anderson is no stranger to MPBL action as he suited up for Marikina Shoemasters, Imus Bandera-Khaleb Shawarma and Gensan Warriors-OKBET squad before.
The General Santos City-native Anderson has also played for a number of teams in Chooks-to-Go 3×3 Basketball. His last commercial basketball stint was with Boracay Islanders in the Pilipinas Super League.
Anderson was one of the eight mid-season additions by the United Royals aside from former NorthPort Batang Pier center Philip Paredes, AJ Madrigal and Conrad Catapusan, JR Ongteco and Lorenzo Navarro.
The United Royals also added up to its homegrown players in Earl Murphy and Franz Diaz, who opted to turn professional as he is ineligible to play for University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in UAAP.
Still with the Manu Inigo-mentored United Royals were homegrown players Javelosa, Leo Guion, Omar Larupay, Jhon Rey Sumido, Rhagnee Sinco and Steven Flores, who is also a guest college player.
The rest of the Iloilo roster has Justine Sanchez, Tony Ynot, Cade Flores, Neil Tolentino, Joshua Flores, Ryan Arambulo, Noah Korovesi, Aldeo Lucero, Joe Benson Joven and Marlon Basco./PN
