From winning a UAAP juniors title as teenagers to sharing the court on Gilas Pilipinas, Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao have certainly come a long way.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that at some point in their young playing careers, all basketball players have dreamed of suiting up for the national team. Many have probably even had visions of playing at that level alongside one of their best buddies.
For Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao, that dream became a reality when they were both named to the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup Gilas team (they were both on the Gilas Youth team for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup, but the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup was their first at the senior level).
But with all due respect to that version of Gilas, which was a combination of college standouts and professionals, they played in a bubble in Jakarta with limited spectators. It wasn’t exactly an optimal experience, even as Tamayo and Quiambao did get their minutes.
Late last year, both players were named to the new Gilas pool to be coached by Tim Cone for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. It was the ultimate honor, since this team had some of the best Filipino pros from the PBA and other Asian leagues.
And so it came to pass that Tamayo and Quiambao, who have known each other since they were teenagers as part of the fabled National University Nazareth School (NUNS) Bullpups team that won the UAAP Season 82 juniors title, found themselves in the presence of other players who had surnames like Fajardo, Thompson, Brownlee and Ramos on the backs of their jerseys.
But while they did share the court in a couple of games, those were just fleeting moments as one or both of them eventually had to give way to more seasoned teammates. Privately, both of them likely longed for more playing time together at this level.
It finally happened on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena when Gilas Pilipinas routed Hong Kong, China in their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers game. To have it happen at home, in front of a large home crowd, made the moment even more special.
When the dust had settled on Gilas’ 93-54 win, the two youngsters had impressive numbers across their names. Tamayo was the leading scorer with 18 points in just 17 minutes, while Quiambao flashed his all-around game with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 22 minutes.
More importantly, they shared the court together for long stretches, as Dwight Ramos was out and Cone decided to spread the minutes to give more exposure to the younger players. The two played the entire fourth quarter together, with each of them hitting a triple at the start of the quarter that expanded Gilas’ lead to 28 points. Just like old times.
Afterwards, both players were elated about the result and their time together on the court.
“Siyempre, sobrang blessed,” Tamayo said. “Simula bata kami magkasama na kami, and having this opportunity to play with him on the national team…maraming players sa Pilipinas gustong maglaro diyan. Since high school teammates kami, and now we’re playing for our country. It’s a very big honor for us.”
Quiambao was just as ecstatic.
“For me, sobrang saya din para sa akin kasi makikita mo yung growth naming dalawa na kung saan man kami magpunta, iyong bonding namin hindi mawawala,” he said. “So coming from a high school teammate to a national teammate, sobrang blessed para sa akin, para kay Carl, sa pamilya naming dalawa. Chine-cherish ko lang ang moment na ito, and alam ko madami pa kaming pagsasamahan.”
It was a more meaningful game for Quiambao, who didn’t see action in Gilas’ earlier game against New Zealand, as he finally was able to showcase his skills in front of a home crowd.
“Masaya, sobrang masaya,” he said. “Matagal ko nang hinihintay ang opportunity na ito, and ayun, dumating. Thankful ako kay Coach Tim, sa buong coaching staff na binigyan kami ng opportunity, mga young guys.”
Cone called the two “the superstars of this team down the road” and said it was important for them, along with Mason Amos, to learn to play within the system.
“Coming out in the first half, (Carl) got out, he hit a three-point shot, he went to the basket, he had a post-up, he had an offensive rebound that also scores.
“And that’s what we’re looking for our young guys. We want to use their total game. And that’s the case with him. That’s the case with KQ and even Mason. You know, Mason is a specialist in terms of taking three-point shots, but we’re trying to get him to expand his game as well.
“And I won’t stop saying this. They are the superstars of this team down the road and they’re still learning and feeling their way. I get on Carl hard as he knows and we all come into the team with different habits. And so it’s really trying to get us all on the same page and creating the same habits so we can all play together and read each other together.”
Tamayo’s 18 points was a Gilas career-high, and he said he was grateful for the knowledge imparted by the veterans on him and the other youngsters on Gilas.
“I think our veterans always talk to us to be confident every time we step on the floor. We had a chance to play, but we tried to put our talent in the system of Coach Tim, which we’re trying. I just took some shots that I made. I’m just very happy for it.”
Images from FIBA.