Taipei, March 21 (CNA) Philippine professional basketball player Nino "KG" Canaleta said Sunday that he was raring to start playing in Taiwan and getting into rhythm with his new team, the Taichung Wagor Suns.
Canaleta, who has been playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for 16 years, arrived in Taiwan Saturday to join the Suns in the professional T1 LEAGUE.
"I can't wait to go to practice," said Canaleta, who is in mandatory quarantine. "I've waited for so long, I'm eager to play with them. I know I'm new to them, but I will try to adjust as soon as possible."
In a text interview with CNA, he said the Suns have been doing a great job, displaying good teamwork in their games, which has given them many wins.
Currently, the Suns are ranked third in the six-team T1 LEAGUE, with a record of 12 victories and eight defeats, and they are only 3.5 games behind the leaders, the Kaohsiung Aquas.
"I will just do my best at every practice and at every game," Canaleta said. "This is a different battle for me, but I have the same goals as them [the Suns]."
His arrival has generated a buzz in the Filipino community in Taiwan, as he is known to be one of biggest basketball stars in his home country, with a reputation for soaring above the rim to make jaw-dropping dunks.
His energetic and gravity defying play has earned him the title the "Da Vinci of Dunks," and his record in the PBA includes five slam dunk crowns -- in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2012.
Canaleta, 40, told CNA that he was also excited about playing in front of his compatriots in Taiwan.
"I'd love to see also my fellow Filipinos working here," Canaleta said. "I'm so excited to see them here in Taiwan. So, please support me and my team the Taichung Suns. See you at all at our games."
According to Ministry of Labor statistics, there were 140,972 Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan, as of the end of January.
The 198 cm-tall Canaleta, nicknamed "KG" for his resemblance to American NBA star Kevin Garnett, was the No. 6 overall pick by Air21 Express in the PBA 2005 rookie draft and has since played for nine teams in the league.
He last played for the Blackwater Bossing until he became a free agent at the end of 2021, when his contract expired, and he signed with the Suns earlier this month.
"I'm so happy to be back here in Taiwan," he said. "I played here in the William Jones Cup back in 2006-08, I think. Fans here are super amazing."
The Tarlac-born basketballer is the second player of Philippine heritage to join the Suns, after Filipino-Australian Jordan Heading did so last year.
