(MANILA, Philippines) – Following his historic win at the first-ever King of the Rock national finals last March 19, 2016 in Manila, Filipino-American Robbie Herndon has decided to step down as the Philippines’ first representative to the world finals to be held later this year in Serbia.
King of the Rock is the world’s largest and most prestigious 1-on-1 street basketball tournament held every year. In its debut season in the country, King of the Rock held qualifiers in the cities of Cebu, Caloocan, and Quezon. At the national finals, the top 24 players battled in intense single-elimination rounds before Herndon and former PBA superstar Willie Miller emerged as the top two – with Herndon eventually taking home the crown..JPG)
A former NCAA Division II player for San Francisco State University, Herndon is determined to continue with basketball albeit in a different venue. After training at the PBA D-League last 2015 with teams like Rain or Shine, Alaska, and Kia, the 22-year-old player believes that his skills and training are primed for another try at this year’s PBA Draft.
In Herndon’s place, two-time league MVP Miller is more than happy to step up through the ranks – from first runner-up to being the new King of the Rock Philippine champion and official representative to the world finals. The 9-time PBA All-Star has proven during his 14-year PBA career that he has the moves and mentality of a champion.
The two have expressed nothing but support for each other despite the change. Miller has offered to mentor the potential pick for the upcoming draft while Herndon has volunteered to be the PBA alumnus’ training partner when he preps for the streetball competition.
At the culmination of this season’s King of the Rock, Miller will play with the signature Filipino passion and pride against 63 of the best streetball players from all over the world. Will his stellar PBA career be enough to reign supreme at the world finals? Follow his adventures atwin.gs/KOTRPHILIPPINES.
and scoring (two and three pointers). Players have to be tough to make it to the finals, but also have to play smart – five fouls equal an automatic loss. After each game, the loser walks away, and the winner will face his next opponent. Tension and expectations are high. With blood, sweat, tears, and hoops in the mix, the last King and Queen will be honored.