Grateful Gomez de Liano of Gilas out to learn from world's finest

MANILA (Philippines) - Juan Gomez de Liano is proud to have kept the faith as it has helped him continue keeping his lifelong dream of going around the world and playing basketball.

"Traveling around the world, that's one of my goals in life. And playing basketball while at it? That'd really be a blessing," said Gomez de Liano earlier in September, as per ESPN.

 

Now that trail has led to him realizing a lifelong dream of playing professionally in Europe.

The 22-year-old is set to write a new chapter in his young career after signing with BC Wolves of the Lietuvos Krepsinio Lyga (LKL) in Lithuania, an opportunity he thought would never come his way as his first stint abroad didn't pan out ideally.

 

"They believed in me and gave me a chance. I’m just thankful and will not take this opportunity for granted," the Gilas swingman told Tiebreaker Times. "I'm glad I just stayed the course and kept the faith."

"I felt like this is the best place for me to grow," he also told CNN Philippines' Sports Desk.

"Lithuanian basketball is like the Philippines, it's the number one sport, they take a lot of pride. They love the game a lot and it's like a religion out there."

Gomez de Liano wasn't shy to admit that he almost lost hope after a forgettable campaign with Earthfriends Tokyo Z of the Japan B.LEAGUE's Division 2, but kept on believing that he would, one day, see himself in a far better situation.

Now he is, and that's hugely thanks to his decision to go back home. He played for Marinerong Pilipino in the PBA D-League, eventually winning MVP honors with norms of 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 steals.

And that achievement proved to be his ticket to this opportunity in Lithuania.

"A lot of times I was doubting myself ... that maybe my overseas dream was just that, a dream," he said. “I had a few interest from different club teams after I was awarded the MVP but BC Wolves really showed the most interest."

Gomez de Liano arrived at the city of Alytus over the weekend and he can't wait to buckle down to work with the newly-founded ball club, filled with so much excitement with the wealth of experience he'll be surrounded by. Gomez himself has some experience playing for the Philippines national team whether it was at the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 Qualifiers or in earlier windows of the World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers, so he's hoping to gain plenty of experience from the personnel at his new team.

 

For the uninitiated, the Wolves' head coach is none other than Lithuanian basketball legend Rimas Kurtinaitis, a member of the team that copped the gold medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Their president, meanwhile, is another decorated figure in Rimantas Kaukenas, a proven winner as he won numerous club titles in Lithuania and in Italy as well as a Eurobasket bronze with the Lithuanian men's team in 2007.

"Just being under their guidance and being able to learn as much as I can and gain so much knowledge from them because of the amount of experience they have in the game. Personally I will learn a lot," he said, as reported by CNN Philippines.

Gomez de Liano will also be playing alongside Marcos Delia, a part of the Argentinian squads that won silver in the FIBA World Cup 2019 and, just recently, ruled the AmeriCup 2022 in Rio de Janeiro.

So, he's eyeing to be a sponge and absorb whatever he can learn from them, something that will definitely come in handy moving forward into his career - and, if ever, when that one call-up from the Philippine team comes his way.

"Most if not all players there have high I.Q. I feel like it will take time for me to adjust especially the games have already started. But that's my job, to adjust to the team's system and do my best," he also said, as per CNN Philippines.

Well, he's no stranger to representing flag and country, having done so numerous times in the past. So it won't be surprising should he get invited again in the near future, with the next World Cup -- to be played in Manila -- less than a year away.

"I’m really excited. It’s always been my dream to play in Europe, especially me having a Spanish passport," said Gomez de Liano.

"I’ll make the most out of it, really just learn and gain a lot of knowledge from Coach Rimas Kurtinaitis and Sir Rimantas Kaukėnas. They both used to play very well. They are also well-known and highly respected in Europe."

"Also just being surrounded by a lot of veterans in the team, guys who have a lot of experience playing at a high level," he continued.

Gomez de Liano inked a one-year deal with the Wolves but he intends to stay longer, and that serves as an extra push for him to prove his worth.

"Now that I’m in there, I plan to stay in Europe and BC Wolves for a long time. That’s my goal, I want to build a career in Europe, build good relationships, really make a living out there," he said. "Hopefully, this won't be just a year thing."

More importantly, aside from pursuing a personal goal, Gomez de Liano hopes his journey will blaze a trail for others to follow.

"It's really an honor, it’s a blessing. Honestly for me, I just want to inspire and pave the way for the upcoming Filipino hoopers that want to play professionally specially overseas," he emphasized, as per ABS-CBN news.

"I just want to give them hope and let them know they shouldn’t give up on their dreams no matter how hard life gets. Philippine hoopers, they just need the right exposure and the right opportunity. I feel like a lot of Filipinos have the heart, talent, drive, and passion for the game. I just want to inspire. It’s truly a blessing to take this next journey of mine."

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