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  • Macau coach clarifies the absence of Sam Deguara from Black Knights’ PBA roster

    Macau coach clarifies the absence of Sam Deguara from Black Knights’ PBA roster

    When the Macau Black Bears announced their entry into the PBA as a guest team, Filipino basketball fans immediately imagined one towering possibility — the arrival of 7-foot-6 center Sam Deguara.


    The Maltese giant has become a familiar presence in Asian basketball over the years, and many expected him to anchor the team when it rebranded as the Macau Black Knights for the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup. But when the team finally unveiled its roster, Deguara’s name was nowhere to be found.

     

    Macau head coach Garrett Kelly addressed the speculation during halftime of the Terrafirma-Titan matchup, explaining that Deguara’s absence had less to do with team plans and more with the realities of professional basketball.

     

    “Sam’s been with us, we love Sam. He’s part of our family. He’s been with us for almost two years now, off and on. But, at the end of the day, professional basketball players are independent contractors. And they gotta go where their money is.” he said.

     

    Instead of joining the Black Knights in the PBA, the towering center opted to continue his career in Taiwan, where he currently plays in the P.League+.

     

    Kelly said the decision was one he fully understands, especially considering the short window most athletes have to maximize their careers.

     

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    “Their career is a short span of their life. If you’re lucky, ten years. If you’re really lucky, more than ten years. But in reality, it’s as long as your body holds up. And Sam obviously has one of the largest bodies on earth for a basketball player. He keeps himself in phenomenal shape, and he’s a great teammate and a great person,” the Black Knights head coach said.

     

    Still, the door remains open. Kelly revealed that he maintains regular communication with the Maltese center and would welcome him back should the opportunity arise during the conference.

     

    “We wish him the best. I keep in touch with him. I talk to him once a week. If and when we have an opportunity for him, we’d love to have him back. So we’ll just have to wait and see,” said Kelly.

     

    For now, Deguara continues to make an impact in Taiwan. Through his first three games in the P.League+, the 34-year-old big man is averaging 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists — numbers that highlight why he remains a sought-after presence across Asian leagues.

     

    Over the years, Deguara has built a unique basketball journey throughout the region. Since arriving in Asia in 2017, the towering center has suited up for teams in Thailand, Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, and even the Philippines with Alab Pilipinas-San Miguel in the now-defunct ASEAN Basketball League.

     

    While fans may have hoped to see his massive frame dominating the paint in the PBA once again, his career path continues to take him across Asia — proving that in professional basketball, opportunity often dictates the next destination.

     

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  • Macau Black Knights open PBA campaign without Sam Deguara as giant center heads to Taiwan

    Macau Black Knights open PBA campaign without Sam Deguara as giant center heads to Taiwan

    A towering presence expected to headline the Macau Black Knights’ campaign in the upcoming Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup will no longer be part of the team’s plans.


    When the Black Knights revealed their roster on their official social media page ahead of the conference, one name stood out for its absence—Sam Deguara, the 7-foot-6 center who had been anticipated to anchor the visiting squad.

     

    The Macau franchise, previously known as the Black Bears, is among the foreign guest teams set to compete in the mid-season tournament. 

     

    But instead of battling inside the paint in the Philippines, Deguara appears to have taken his talents elsewhere.

     

    Reports indicate the towering big man has signed with Yankey Ark in Taiwan’s P. LEAGUE+, with the deal believed to have been finalized as early as the first week of February. 

     

    The move was later confirmed by head coach Garret Kelly in response to a fan inquiry online about the center’s whereabouts.

     

    For teams preparing for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Deguara’s absence means one less towering matchup in the paint.

     

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    Instead, Macau will rely heavily on its other reinforcement, Tony Mitchell, who had originally been expected to share import duties with Deguara. 

     

    The plan was for the two to rotate throughout the tournament—a setup allowed for guest teams since the league began inviting foreign squads.

     

    With Deguara now out of the picture, Mitchell could shoulder the import responsibilities alone unless the Black Knights decide to bring in another reinforcement. So far, the team has not announced whether a replacement is on the way.

     

    Despite shifting teams, Deguara wasted no time making an impact in Taiwan. He debuted for Yankey Ark over the weekend, producing 20 points and 12 rebounds to help secure a victory.

     

    Back in Manila, the focus now shifts to Macau’s opening assignment in the PBA conference. The Black Knights will headline opening day on March 11, facing the Converge FiberXers in the 7:30 p.m. game at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

     

    Whether Mitchell alone will be enough to carry the visiting team remains to be seen—but one thing is certain, the Commissioner’s Cup will unfold without one of the tallest players expected to take part. 

     

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  • Yeng Guiao and Rain or Shine brace for towering tests in Commissioner’s Cup opening games 

    Yeng Guiao and Rain or Shine brace for towering tests in Commissioner’s Cup opening games 

    Size will greet Rain or Shine Elasto Painters the moment the Commissioner’s Cup tips off.

     

    In a conference known for unleashing high-impact imports, Rain or Shine may have drawn the most daunting opening stretch of all in the Philippine Basketball Association 50th Season. Their first two assignments? A 7-foot-6 giant and a 7-foot-3 former NBA mainstay.

     

    The Elasto Painters begin their campaign on March 14 at the Ynares Center Montalban against guest team Macau Black Bears, which is set to parade Sam Deguara. At 7-foot-6, Deguara is poised to become the tallest player ever to suit up in the league’s 50-year history — a literal and symbolic reminder of how this midseason tournament shifts the competitive landscape.

     

    Six days later, the challenge only intensifies. Rain or Shine heads to the Smart Araneta Coliseum for a March 20 clash with TNT Tropang Giga, where 7-foot-3 Bol Bol will make his much-anticipated PBA debut. With a six-year NBA résumé from 2019 to 2025, Bol arrives not merely as a tall reinforcement but as one of the most decorated imports in the field.

     

    For a Rain or Shine squad built more on speed and grit than sheer height, the early matchups present a puzzle.

     

    “Problema talaga ‘yan,” admitted head coach Yeng Guiao when asked how his team plans to deal with towering reinforcements like Deguara and Bol.

     

    “I think we will only know how we can look for a scheme to siguro not to totally neutralize them but make them a little bit less effective when we see them play mismo. What we can do now is rely on the videos and past tapes nila, past performances. But iba pa rin ‘yung mag-adapt sila sa style ng PBA,” Guiao said.

     

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    The veteran tactician, known for squeezing advantages out of undermanned lineups, is approaching the challenge cautiously.

     

    “We will see how they will adapt. We will see if they have any weaknesses kung may weakness sila. We will try to do something to counter their size. Ang nakakatakot baka wala silang weakness,” Guiao added.

     

    Among the two, Bol looms as the greater concern.

     

    “Si Bol Bol, napapanood ko naman sa NBA, napapanood ko naman highlights niya. I think he will be a problem among all the imports. Ang pinakamalaking concern ko si Bol Bol. Wala pa kaming nakikitang paraan para mapigilan siya.”

     

    “He can own the paint, offense and defense. He is a human cheat code actually,” Guiao said.

     

    The Commissioner’s Cup has always been a tournament where matchups dictate destiny. For Rain or Shine, destiny arrives early — and it stands well over seven feet tall.

     

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  • Macau Black Bears lean on size and familiarity with Sam Deguara, Tony Mitchell for PBA guest stint 

    Macau Black Bears lean on size and familiarity with Sam Deguara, Tony Mitchell for PBA guest stint 

    Experience and familiarity—two qualities often overlooked in import recruitment—are shaping the approach of the Macau Black Bears as they prepare for their campaign in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.

     

    Rather than gambling on unknown reinforcements, the guest team is turning to two names already recognizable to Filipino basketball followers: Sam Deguara and Tony Mitchell.

    Sources bared that the Macau management has already notified the league of its decision to bring in the duo for the midseason conference set to open on March 11.

     

    The move signals a calculated blend of extreme size and proven exposure to the Philippine style of play.

     

    Deguara, a 7-foot-6 center from Malta, is expected to become the tallest import ever to suit up in the league, surpassing previous height benchmarks while giving the Black Bears an imposing interior anchor. The veteran big man has made rounds across Asian tournaments and most recently suited up for the Zamboanga Valientes in the Dubai International Basketball Championship.

     

    His arrival also places him above incoming TNT reinforcement Bol Bol and former Kia import PJ Ramos—both listed at 7-foot-3—highlighting just how rare Deguara’s size is even among global imports.

     

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    While Deguara brings unmatched length, Mitchell adds familiarity and versatility.

     

    Now 33, Mitchell previously played in the PBA with Purefoods and NLEX and was once a first-round selection of the Detroit Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft. His ability to score from multiple positions and adjust quickly to league physicality gives Macau a steady offensive option.

     

    The pair also shares built-in chemistry, having already played together for the Black Bears in the East Asia Super League Home and Away Season 3, where Macau competed in Group B.

     

    Macau’s decision to bring back familiar pieces also reflects the strategic demands of the Commissioner’s Cup format, where teams must carefully manage their import rotations due to strict injury replacement rules. Should an original import be moved to the injury/reserved list, reactivation restrictions limit roster flexibility later in the conference.

     

    For the Black Bears, the approach is clear: minimize adjustment time, maximize physical advantage, and rely on players who already understand both the system and the intensity of Philippine basketball.

     

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