John eyes prospect of return to Malaysia Dragons

PETALING JAYA: Cager John Ng is eyeing another stint in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) with the Westports Malaysia Dragons.

The 36-year-old had played for Dragons in the ABL for six years between 2009-2014 before deciding to retire to start a family.

But he has since made a comeback. And the 1.92m forward showed that he’s lost none of his prowess as he played a key role in helping the KL Dragons Basketball Academy to three straight wins in the inaugural Malaysia Pro League (MPL).

Having shifted from his usual power forward position, John is excelling in the small forward role where he has averaged 12 points and converted 52.90% of his threepoint attempts.

“I retired a few years ago because I wanted to start a family. It kept me very busy and I was completely out of the basketball scene,” said John.

“But basketball is still a passion for me. I never thought I could still play at this level.

“Now I hope to push myself to see how much further I can go. My target is to play for Westports Malaysia Dragons again if they are willing to take me.

“Age is not an issue as (Argentinian Manu) Ginobili is still playing for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA although he’s 40.

“I just have to change my game. I no longer play as a power forward which is physically more demanding. I can adapt to make the best of my skill sets,” he added.

On KL Dragons’ impact in the MPL, captain John said: “A lot of people were surprised when we included several lesser-known players.

“But this group of young players have shown good attitude and they have performed beyond expectations.”

Among the standouts for the Dragons so far is 1.65m point guard Addy Tung Chee Keong, Syahrul Ridzuan Rosli and 16-year-old Phan Wee Chen.

The Dragons, who are the frontrunners to qualify for the playoffs as the No. 1 seeds, next meet Filipino guest team Kings Pinas Asia on Oct 21.