JOHN Amores was given a second chance after his act of on-court violence two years ago. The volatile basketball player may have pushed his luck too far after he got into another trouble that is way more worrisome.

Amores may no longer be able to play in professional leagues as the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) is considering revoking his permit to play in the pro ranks after the NorthPort Batang Pier forward was involved in a shooting incident in Laguna two weeks ago.

GAB Chairperson Francisco Rivera admitted that the agency still gave Amores a chance even after he ran amok that saw him assault players of St. Benilde with a flurry of punches during a National Collegiate Athletic Association match in November 2022.

Amores was slapped with a lifetime ban by the NCAA over the incident, but with GAB still giving him necessary permits to play in the pro league, Amores was still able to play in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and eventually in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Amores was picked by NorthPort in the second round of the 2023 PBA Rookie Draft.

Rivera explained that the GAB still granted Amores a permit to play in professional leagues despite his history of violence under the condition that he will undergo anger management therapy.

"On the basis of his past conduct, it appeared to the Games and Amusement Board that [it] was still manageable and again, in the interest of giving him the opportunity to play for the professional leagues and on the strength of his undertaking, we gave him a license," Rivera said, per a GMA report.

After Amores figured in another ugly incident where he was seen firing a shot at a man whom he got into trouble in a basketball game, giving the temperamental player another chance is no longer feasible, GAB said.

"At present, considering the gravity of the offense that he committed at this time, the same argument probably will no longer work for him," Rivera said.

The PBA has yet to decide on what sanction to impose against Amores, who was charged with attempted homicide after the recent incident.

Amores and his brother are out on bail.

Senator Bong Go, who presided over a recent Senate hearing that tackled GAB’s budget for 2025, reminded the agency to strengthen its rules and policies to prevent a similar incident involving a professional player from happening again.

Go also reminded GAB to work closely with the PBA, MPBL, and other pro leagues.(CCM)

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• #John Amores
• #Games and Amusement Board
• #NorthPort Batang Pier
• #Shooting Incident
• #National Collegiate Athletic Association
• #Philippine Basketball Association