Carl Tamayo is looking to pattern his game after Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic as he embarks on his new journey with the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the Japan B. League.
In this introductory press conference on Friday, the 6-foot-7 slotman revealed that he admires Doncic and he wants to emulate his game when he formally competes in his first professional stint.
Tough task awaits Tamayo.
After just two seasons for University of the Philippines in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the 22-year-old Tamayo decided to bring his talent overseas, joining the likes of fellow Gilas Pilipinas standouts like Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos and Ray Parks in the premier professional league in Japan.
He will suit up for the Golden Kings, who fell short of winning the title after losing to Utsunomiya Brex in the finals last year.
Tamayo stressed that he wants to reinvent his game and pattern it after Doncic, the Slovenian playmaker who is making an impact both in the National Basketball Association and various International Basketball Federation tournaments.
“The player I now look up to is Luka Doncic. The way he plays and the smartness that he has, those are the things I really need to learn,” Tamayo said.
Tamayo, however, admitted that it’s still a long way to go for him, especially now that he will play for a new organization with a different culture.
“I still have a lot of things to learn and improve on,” he said.
“With this organization, I think that I’ll be improving a lot as a young player and I want to learn more and add more strength for me as a player.”
Tamayo added that he had already started doing his homework by watching the Golden Kings when they clash with the San-En NeoPhoenix, which is reinforced by Thirdy Ravena.
He said he is thrilled with what’s in store for him as his game perfectly suits the system of the Golden Kings.
