Joshua Munzon will be a marked man when Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 competes in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz, Austria.
The competition runs from May 26 to 30, with only the top three teams earning tickets to the Tokyo Olympics.
Munzon, the top-ranked 3×3 player in the Philippines, leads a team that features No. 2 Alvin Pasaol, no. 8 Santi Santillan, and Southeast Asian Games gold medalists CJ Perez and Moala Tautuaa.
Ahead of the competition, the FIBA 3×3 website identified Munzon as one of the 10 players to watch in the men’s qualifiers.
“If you haven’t heard of Joshua Munzon, better get ready,” according to a post on the FIBA 3×3 site.
“(Munzon) is becoming a mega star in hoops-mad Philippines after his breakout performances late last year at home and in Doha. The recent PBA No. 1 draft pick has been on a tear and it’s the big stage where his electric game really gets going, “it added.
“He can swish and dish with his eyes closed and if you snooze you lose-this 26-year-old is at the rack and melting down social media. If Munzon leads the Philippines to the promised land then he will instantly become a Filipino legend forever. “
Munzon made a name for himself in the pro 3×3 circuit both in the Philippines and abroad, before declaring for the PBA Rookie Draft where he was taken first overall by TerraFirma in March.
“I feel like we did all we can do to prepare for the tournament. We’re excited, we’re ready as we can be. We want to go out there and make the country proud,” Munzon told One Sports ahead of their departure for Austria late Saturday night.
However, they face tall odds in the qualifiers. Gilas 3×3 is grouped with Slovenia, France, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic in Group C. Only the top two teams per group will advance to the knockout round and Slovenia has already been tabbed as a favorite to make it all the way to Tokyo.
Munzon acknowledged that they have a tough task ahead, but he is optimistic of their chances.
“At the end of the day, we’re gonna do all we can to go out three and bring home some Ws. We’re gonna leave everything out there,” he vowed.
Aside from Munzon, other players that FIBA 3×3 fans have to watch out for are: Abdulrahman Saad of Qatar, Antoine Eito of France, Robbie Hummel of the United States, Minsu Park of South Korea, Arvin Slagter of the Netherlands, Dulguun Enkhbat of Mongolia , Karlis Lasmanis and Nauris Miezis of Latvia, and hometown hero Filip Kramer of Graz.
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