PASAY CITY (Philippines) - Juan Gomez de Liano admitted that he has been longing for the opportunity to suit up and play for the Philippines once more, as it has been nearly half a decade since the last time it happened.
That's why he couldn't feel any more blessed that his patience paid off after being included to the team bound to face New Zealand in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers' second window on Thursday.
"Really happy to be back.
It's a truly special moment for me, and especially for my career. I'm 26, and I've been honestly waiting for this time to come again," he said on the eve of their clash against the Tall Blacks.
That itch was understandable, especially for a player like Gomez de Liano - for somebody who first experienced playing for flag and country as early as his high school days, when he was still with UP Integrated School.
He was a member of the youth team, popularly known as Batang Gilas locally then, that competed in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup in 2015, in which their batch salvaged a fifth-place finish for the Philippines.
He'd eventually become an integral part of the men's program - from being part of a youth-laden pool put up by Chot Reyes in 2018, to becoming a key cog in a batch handled by Tab Baldwin during the early 2020s.
Gomez de Liano was be brought back by Reyes amidst a major change within Gilas during the previous World Cup cycle, when he played for the squad that competed in the Qualifiers' second window back in 2022.
But after that, he was not called back up again.
I just kept stacking days, I kept the faith. I showed up everyday ... now that I'm in, I'm here to give my 100 percent.
The Filipino dribblers went to numerous battles following that window and many faces have come and gone, but the lefty playmaker was seemingly forgotten.
It couldn't get any tougher for him especially after the last window he played with the men's team, as it was also around that time when he got released by the Earthfriends Tokyo Z of the Japanese B.League's third division.
Still, he kept the faith.
And while hoping, Gomez de Liano stayed the course, eventually earning big-time stints - first with the BC Wolves in Lithuania, and then with the Seoul SK Knights of the Korean Basketball League.
He played for a couple of seasons with the Knights up until last year, and that's when he decided the timing couldn't get any better to take his act where his heart is and always has been: home.
So, the former UAAP Rookie of the Year declared himself eligible for the Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Draft, and went on to be picked no. 2 overall by a young franchise in the Converge FiberXers.
It was of course a homecoming for the now-seasoned guard but it was also more than that. In returning to Manila and in joining the PBA, becoming a part of Gilas again was also the reason why he came back.
Soon, the call-up he's been hoping for would come late last year, a day after leading Converge to a 106-96 victory over Barangay Ginebra behind a sensational performance of 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The coach of the team they beat? None other than the Philippines' chief mentor in Tim Cone.
"You know, I spent a couple of years overseas, and I felt like the best way was to come to the PBA, do my thing," the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants' Cup Most Valuable Player reflected. "Thankfully, I got the call-up."
Still, he had to endure a bit more waiting. Yes, he was included in the training pool for the 2027 World Cup Qualifiers' opening window, but didn't make the cut to the team that played and swept Guam.
While others could feel down with such a situation, it only made Gomez de Liano cherish the game even more, and, more importantly learn, Cone and their scheme of things further - all while watching from the sidelines.
"Just watching the previous games, cheering from the sidelines, it made me appreciate the game a lot more, and made me super excited [while] patiently waiting for my time to come," he offered.
Now, he's officially part of the lineup, and all that is thanks to his perseverance as well - which, without any question, was witnessed first-hand not only by his brothers-in-arms but the whole brain trust, too.
"I just kept stacking days, I kept the faith. I showed up everyday," said Gomez de Liano. "Even if they didn't choose me to join the Final 12, I'll be there cheering for the guys ... but now that I'm in, I'm here to give my 100 percent."
"Hopefully I can get to produce," he added, "and help in my own ways which I know I'm capable of."
And serving as the icing on the cake in his return would be the home crowd expected to fill up the Mall of Asia Arena, something that he didn't experience when he last played for Gilas due to COVID restrictions.
"It was a lot of distancing," Gomez de Liano recalled with a smile.
"I feel like the atmosphere is gonna be crazy, kinda similar to the 'never-say-die' crowd," he added, referring to the big, raucous live crowds that fuel Ginebra during its PBA games. "It's gonna be jam-packed, for sure."
"They're gonna be our sixth man - hopefully."
FIBA