Four knee injuries later, Singapore 3x3 basketballer Haribon Espinosa chases pro dream

SINGAPORE – Four knee operations in four years would force many budding athletes to throw in the towel, though this was not the case for 3x3 basketballer Haribon Espinosa.

Born in the Philippines, the Singaporean player has come a long way since arriving in 2018, as he persevered through injuries and setbacks while trying to pursue his dream of playing professional basketball.

“It was upsetting at first, but over time, I became more motivated,” said the 24-year-old, who tore his anterior cruciate ligaments four times and was out of action for nearly four years.

“My injuries taught me to be resilient. They also gave me a deeper appreciation for simply being able to play the game.”

Having returned to the national team only in January 2025 after tearing his right ACL in July 2024, Espinosa is raring to go at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup from March 26 to 30 at the Singapore Sports Hub’s OCBC Square.

The 1.8-metre Espinosa’s journey in basketball began seven years ago, when he moved from the Philippines to Singapore after his father found work here.

He said: “Every kid in the Philippines plays basketball. I was one of them, and I was lucky enough to be part of a great programme in the Philippines, part of the varsity team for La Salle Green Hills during high school.

“We were lucky enough to get a permanent residency in Singapore. I had served national service from 2018 to 2020 and then, after that, I met a lot of great coaches that helped me be with the national team right now.”

But that path to the national team was fraught with challenges.

He spent the majority of 2018 to 2022 in rehabilitation after tearing his left ACL thrice and endured multiple operations before making his comeback with the Greatness Basketball Academy in 2022.

He then joined Eng Tat Hornets in 2024 and played in the National Basketball League, before tearing his right ACL in July.

Undeterred in his goal of becoming a pro basketballer, he made the switch to 3x3 after his recovery, adding that being able to play in the Asia Cup and SEA Games “is one of the biggest motivations”.

An uphill task awaits the 31st-ranked Singaporeans, who made it out of the tournament’s group stage just once (quarter-finals in 2023).

They are in Pool A with 2023 champions Mongolia (ninth) and a team from the qualifying group of Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and debutants Bahrain.

Said Espinosa: “Every game will definitely be a dog fight. We’re not the favourites to win, but we might surprise a lot of people, since we’re playing on home court as well, so the energy from the home crowd will definitely help us.”

Singapore coach Lazar Rasic, who has been at the helm of the national 3x3 team since August 2023, said: “We were trying to prepare them through the whole last season by playing in high-level competitions... to break this fear and nervousness because we are playing at home, playing in front of our fans.

“We should be pushing up, not be scared of playing. 3x3 is a very unpredictable game, so anything is possible.

“But we are working hard for this competition and are preparing the same way, there is no small or big… For us, we are going as far as possible.”

The long-term target is for the team to win gold at the 2029 SEA Games on home soil.

“We are trying to find the perfect roster for 2029, giving them a chance now to go through all the necessary competitions and all these big events,” said Rasic.

“We are trying to give these younger players a chance, and we have expectations from them also to bring in results, either through winning or good placings.

“We need to take players who are going to be in their prime in 2029, so we need to start building them up and make them ready.”