By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Alex Cabagnot is set to showcase his skills in South Korea after being signed with the Goyang Sono Skygunners for the remainder of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League (KBL) season.

Cabagnot, a nine-time PBA champion during his time with the San Miguel Beermen, was tapped to replace fellow former PBA cager Joshua Torralba as the Skygunners’ Asian Quota Player.

“Cabagnot has excellent scoring ability and decent game-leading ability,” Skygunners head coach Kim Seung-gi said.

“The sense of stability that a veteran player like Cabagnot gives will be helpful to the team,” he added.

The 41-year-old Cabagnot was a former no. 2 overall pick by the Sta. Lucia Realtors before he transferred to the Coca-Cola Tigers, the Burger King Whoppers, the Beermen, Global Port Batang Pier, and the Terrafirma Dyip.

In his last conference with the Dyip, Cabagnot averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds in nine games.

He became a free agent after not being renewed during the off-season.

With the Skygunners, Cabagnot is set to team up with former NBA player Chinanu Onuaku as they hope to improve their 8-13 win-loss slate, which is good for eighth place in the 10-team field.

Kim is optimistic that Cabagnot can make his Goyang Sono debut against the Seoul SK Knights, led by Filipino-Italian Juan Gomez de Liaño, on Thursday, December 21.

“After player registration is completed, Cabagnot will make his debut in front of home fans in the game against SK as early as the 21st,” Kim said.

“His veteran smarts will help me outside the game as well,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kim shared that they were forced to part ways with Torralba, as he is set to undergo surgery to repair a thigh injury he sustained during a practice game before the start of the season.

“After his injury, Josh rejoined the team’s training and was part of the rotation, but he was unable to overcome the injury in the end as he suffered from thigh pain every time he played, so the team decided to release him,” Kim said./ASC, WDJ