Kyt Jimenez
Kyt Jimenez is at a crossroads in his basketball career, balancing a desire to return to the PBA with his current opportunity abroad.
After parting ways with San Miguel Beer, the flashy guard is exploring new avenues with the Zamboanga Valientes in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship.
Jimenez, who was selected 76th overall by San Miguel in the PBA Season 48 draft, acknowledges that leaving the Beermen—a championship-caliber team—was a tough decision, especially as it meant forfeiting the final year of his contract.
“Siyempre pangarap ko yung PBA. Gusto kong makapaglaro dun. Gusto kong makita kung hanggang saan yung skills ko o kung anuman ang meron ako,” Jimenez was quoted as saying.
“Siyempre nanghihinayang,” he admitted, reflecting on his decision to leave the prestigious franchise and join Zamboanga. “Hindi na rin naman tayo bumabata. So nag-take lang ako ng risk na bakit hindi ko subukan ulit kasi ang tagal ko na ring hindi nakapaglaro.”
Zamboanga Valientes team owner Junnie Navarro, who had previously tried to recruit Jimenez before the PBA draft, reached out to the guard when the opportunity arose to compete in Dubai.
Navarro, who has built a rising club team that takes pride in giving opportunities to players from Zamboanga, saw a chance to offer Jimenez a fresh start.
However, Jimenez’s move to the Valientes comes with complications. Reports said that while San Miguel has released Jimenez from the remainder of his three-year contract (which runs until December 2025), the former Beermen guard has yet to secure clearance from the PBA.
According to PBA guidelines, a player’s Uniform Player’s Contract is a tripartite agreement between the player, his team, and the league, and it cannot be terminated unilaterally by just two parties
This creates a situation where Jimenez risks facing a potential ban from the PBA if he plays in Dubai without the league’s official release.
The dilemma mirrors a similar situation faced by Kiefer Ravena in 2021 when he sought clearance from the PBA to play in the Japan B.League after being given approval by NLEX.
Ravena’s move to Shiga Lakestars was delayed until he received proper clearance from the PBA, a situation Jimenez may soon find himself navigating.
As Jimenez and the Valientes team flew to Dubai, the prospect of not being able to play in the tournament loomed large.
If he is not cleared to suit up for the Valientes, Jimenez stands to lose financially. He is set to earn P150,000 for the week-long tournament in Dubai, a significant amount compared to his reported monthly salary of P90,000 at San Miguel.