KUWAIT CITY (Kuwait) - As fate would have it, Phil Greene finds himself competing in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) for the second straight season after joining Kazma prior to the 2025-26 competitions.
But this one should bear some more weight for the seasoned playmaker, as the recently opened fourth edition of the pan-regional contest also presents an opportunity to author a far better story than his first foray.
"I know that if I do what I'm supposed to do, then everything will take care of itself," the 32-year-old said.
Greene was part of the Al Qadsia SC side that played in the 2024-25 WASL season but his stint lasted for only five games after getting hurt against Ittihad Club during their Gulf League Group Phase last January 14.
I'm glad I'm here.
His team managed to hack out the 62-60 win but it sure came at a cost. He was soon let go, cutting short what had been a solid run personally as proven by his averages of 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
Fast forward to now and the St. John's University alumnus is back in WASL after Kazma tapped his services to strengthen their bid of pulling off another deep run in their return after missing last season.
The crew began their campaign on Monday night at home and there's no better way for the organization to announce their comeback than with a win by way of a 95-81 victory over another old-timer in Muharraq.
Greene himself wasted no time showcasing his brand of basketball, firing an excellent 5-of-7 from beyond the arc on his way to finishing with 21 points as he was played for the entirety of the game by Coach Bojan Lazic.
Kazma haven't actually had any practice as a complete unit leading up to their WASL season opener but the way they responded as a collective that ultimately led to the desired result made him all the more satisfied.
"Like Coach said, we haven't had a full practice with a full team yet, so it comes with challenges. But we play next play, next man up, do whatever you gotta do to win the game, and I think that's what we did," he said.
"I love the fight that we had today and I wanna carry this over to the next days and in the next games," added Greene, who shot 8-of-15 from the field and also chalked up a rebound, 5 assists, and a steal.
The win, indeed, marked a solid start not only to their campaign but to his redemption tour of sorts, although the native of Chicago chooses to stay on an even keel as his focus is set on simply helping Kazma succeed.
"I'm glad I'm here," he said. "I'm here to just win, and just keep getting better day by day."
FIBA