Malick Diouf —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Malick Diouf, a former UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) awardee who helped University of the Philippines to three Finals appearances and one title, isn’t closing the door on reinforcing a club in the place that has been his home for years.
“Everybody who played in college here (in the Philippines) hopes to turn pro here. After graduating, most people set sights on the [Philippine Basketball Association, or PBA],” Diouf told the Inquirer recently. The problem? Diouf is 6-foot-11 and the PBA’s maximum height for an import is 6-10.
That height limit is also what has prevented Dwight Howard, the former NBA All-Star, from hooking up with PBA clubs, and the journeyman big has made it known on his social media platforms that he hopes the league revises its rules.
“Many of us, we’ve been in the Philippines for so long. We studied here so why can’t we [given] the chance to play in the Philippines?” Diouf said.
For now, his focus is to make the most out of his stint with the Zamboanga Valientes in The Asian Tournament in China.
Diouf had 13 points and 17 rebounds for a +19 efficiency to lead the club in its 82-75 conquest of host Ningbo Bulls in Guangdong, China, on Friday night. If the Valientes hope to go far in the tournament, one of the teams they will need to hurdle is the Alex Cabagnot-led Taiwan Mustangs, which Zamboanga is playing at press time.
After his stint with Zamboanga, Diouf will look for opportunities in other countries while keeping tabs on the PBA, with the dream of playing there someday.
“Hopefully. But if it’s not my time, maybe in the future there’s a (foreign) player who comes around, graduates and plays in that league,” he said.
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