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The Filipino basketball player reunites with his old club team, the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters, marking a return to the Korean Basketball League
Claim: Filipino basketball star Rhenz Abando has signed a deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Boston Celtics.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: On July 28, the YouTube channel “The C’s News,” which has 17,900 subscribers, posted the claim. As of writing, the video has 4,200 views.
The video is titled “Asian Sensation: Rhenz Abando signs lightning deal with Celtics | Boston Celtics News,” and its thumbnail shows Abando supposedly signing a contract while wearing a Celtics team t-shirt. The video shows a compilation of Abando’s previous tournaments.
The YouTube channel also uploaded multiple videos with the same claim.
The facts: Rhenz Abando re-signed with his old club team, the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters, in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), not the NBA team Boston Celtics.
On July 29, the Red Boosters made a post on its official Instagram account welcoming Abando back to the team, saying: “Rhenz Abando is BACK! The player who won the championship with Anyang is coming back.”
Abando also posted on his official and verified Instagram account about his comeback. ”This isn’t just a return. It’s a reminder of what it means to bounce back with purpose,” he wrote.
The Filipino import signed with Anyang in 2022 and helped them capture the championship in the 2022-2023 season, where Abando averaged 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 block. He parted ways with the team in May 2024.
Abando’s career: Prior to his comeback to the Red Boosters, Abando was part of the Strong Group Athletics-Philippines, which defended its William Jones Cup title with an 8-0 record against the United Arab Emirates in Taiwan on July 20. (READ: Strong is stronger: Strong Group completes 8-0 Jones Cup sweep with rout of UAE)
Fact check: Rappler has previously debunked false claims about Abando’s supposed deals with other teams:
– Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com
Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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