Juan Gomez de Liano’s latest Gilas Pilipinas call-up is about more than replacing an injured player on the roster.
It is also about reconnecting with teammates whose basketball journeys have been intertwined with his for years.
After being named as Scottie Thompson’s replacement for Window 3 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, Gomez de Liano finds himself sharing the national team locker room once again with Justine Baltazar and RJ Abarrientos—two players who were part of a memorable chapter in Gilas history.
“Super excited,” he said during the team’s send-off press conference at the FilOil Centre.
The trio were members of the young Gilas squad assembled by Tab Baldwin in 2021, a team that earned praise for its performances in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and later competed in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia.
While that group has since gone its separate ways across different leagues and teams, Window 3 offers a rare opportunity to bring those connections back together.
Among the reunions, Gomez de Liano’s partnership with Baltazar may be the most familiar.
The two first became teammates during the Asia Cup Qualifiers bubble in Bahrain at the height of the pandemic. Years later, they now share the same colors once more—not only in Gilas but also with Converge in the PBA.
Having spent significant time together on the court, Gomez de Liano believes that chemistry could prove valuable for the national team.
“The last time we represented the country was when we went to Bahrain during the pandemic,” recalled the former KBL and B.League import.
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“Now we’re teammates not just with Gilas but in Converge in the PBA.
“Super excited. I’m very familiar with how he plays; I know his spots, I know how to get him going. Just blessed to be here with Balti as well.”
Abarrientos brings a different dynamic to the reunion.
The two recently found themselves on opposite sides of a heated PBA playoff battle, with Abarrientos helping Barangay Ginebra capture the Commissioner’s Cup championship after an impressive conference that earned him Best Player of the Conference honors.
Now, instead of competing against each other, they will work toward the same goal.
Gomez de Liano believes Abarrientos’ growth since their previous Gilas stint has made him an even more valuable piece for the national team.
“The impact RJ brings, he won the Best Player of the Conference this last conference,” Gomez de Liano said.
“He’s very smart, and he creates for others as well. I think we play really well together … Super excited.”
As Gilas prepares for difficult road assignments against New Zealand and Australia, familiarity may become one of its biggest strengths.
For Gomez de Liano, the upcoming qualifiers represent another opportunity to contribute to the national team. But they also serve as a reminder of how far he and his fellow 2021 Gilas standouts have come—from promising young prospects to established professionals now being called upon once again to represent the country on the international stage.
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