Mark Magsumbol is a basketball player from the Philippines who has played in the Philippine Basketball League, National Basketball Conference, the Cebu Basketball Federation, and for the American Basketball Association (ABA) team San Jose Skyrockets.[1] A 6-2 shooting guard from Calauag, Quezon, Magsumbol is now playing for the Quezon Red Oilers of Liga Pilipinas.
Magsumbol earned a Hotel and Restaurant Management degree at St. Benilde in 2001, but instead of applying what he learned in the classroom, decided to try his luck on the court. He never applied for the PBA draft and has played for four teams in the Philippine Basketball League, three teams in the National Basketball Conference, and a team in the Cebu Basketball Federation. Magsumbol also played for the Cebuana Lhuillier national squad.
Magsumbol previously played for the San Jose Skyrockets in the 31-team American Basketball Association (ABA) as an "import" in the US minors. He made his ABA debut, aged 25, by scoring 12 points, including 3-of-4 triples, in the Skyrockets’ 160-101 romp over the Tijuana Dragones at the San Jose Auditorium on Jan. 30, 2006. He arrived in the US on January 22, 2010.
The former De La Salle-St. Benilde cager[2] was chosen to play for the Skyrockets among 15 Filipino aspirants in a tryout conducted by coach Marc Joffe at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig in October 2009. Joffe arrived with team owner Kazuni Hasegawa from San Jose to check out Filipino players capable of playing in the ABA.
Ravi Chulani, a 28-year-old La Salle graduate who spent his own money to rent the Brent Gym in Pasig in the Philippines Tuesday nights for pros and would-be pros to play pick-up games, organized the tryouts for Hasegawa. Chulani’s cousin, Girish Mirchandani, lived in San Francisco, and suggested to Hasegawa to recruit a Filipino for the Skyrockets to reflect the ethnicity of San Jose as a melting pot in the Bay Area. It was Mirchandani who introduced Chulani to Hasegawa.
Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) import Harold Arceneaux led the Dragones with 42 points. The Skyrockets led, 77-46, at the half. The blowout saw 11 Skyrockets, including Magsumbol, scoring in double digits.
Magsumbol later joined the PBA. He was drafted by the Sta. Lucia Realty. After SLR, he transferred to Air21 Express. He is now with the multi-titled M, Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Cebu Ninos.
Magsumbol's wife, Caecent, is a sportswriter of The Freeman Newspaper which is now under Philippine Star publication.
| Preceded by |
NCAA Seniors' Basketball Finals Most Valuable Player 2000 |
Succeeded by Christian Coronel |