The Taoyuan Pilots basketball club said Friday that it has released Filipino player Ricci Rivero ahead of the new P. LEAGUE+ season because he has been plagued by a leg injury.
Rivero, a former standout collegiate player who joined the Pilots in September, has been unable to fully participate in the team’s training sessions due a leg injury, the Pilots said in a statement.
With the regular season about to start Saturday, the Pilots said, they felt Rivero could not compete at his best, and it was agreed that his contract would be terminated with immediate effect.
A former two-time champion of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Rivero got off to a strong start with the Pilots in its first preseason game on Oct. 9.
While his team lost 88-108 to the Formosa Taishin Dreamers, Rivero recorded nine points, two rebounds, eight assists, and one steal in his 22 minutes of court time.
In the Pilots second preseason game the following day, however, his court time was just over seven minutes, and he tallied only five points, one rebound, and one assist.
In Friday’s statement, Pilots General Manager Sean Chen (陳信安) said Rivero is undoubtedly an excellent basketball player, has the right attitude, and is willing to put in hard work.
“However, the strength of the team is still the biggest consideration ahead of the regular season, so it was decided that his contract would be terminated,” Chen said.
According to the team, Rivero has injured his left leg because he has been putting more pressure on it to compensate for an old injury on his right ankle.
Hailing from Ilagan city in the Philippine province of Isabela, Rivero is the only UAAP player to have won championships at two different schools, the first being the University of the Philippines, which in May clinched its first title since 1986.
He also had the distinction of being the first Southeast Asian to be recruited by a P. LEAGUE+ team as a world import player.
Rivero’s entry to the league was expected to generate interest and attract fans in Taiwan’s Filipino community, which included 152,025 migrant workers as of the end of September, labor ministry data showed.
The P. LEAGUE+ 2022-2023 regular season tips off Saturday, with two-time defending champions the Taipei Fubon Braves hosting the Hsinchu Jko Lioneers at Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel