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In leaving La Salle, Ben Mbala regained control of his hoops career

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/tvpatrol/06/06/mbala.jpg"/><figcaption>Ben Mbala played for Cameroon in the 2017 FIBA AfroBasket. FIBA Media</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- Ben Mbala felt he left one collegiate championship on the table when he decided to forego his final season of eligibility with De La Salle University.Mbala had led the Green Archers to the title in UAAP Season 79, and came one win away from a second straight title in Season 80. In both seasons, he was the league&#x27;s Most Valuable Player, winning the award in a landslide.But three days before Christmas in 2017, he announced that he was leaving La Salle in what he said was the &quot;toughest&quot; decision he had to make.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/22/17/uaap-ben-mbala-leaves-la-salle-toughest-decision-ive-made">FULL STORY: Ben Mbala leaves La Salle -- &#x27;toughest decision I&#x27;ve made&#x27;</a></li></ul>Three years later, he admitted that he felt he and the Green Archers could have won another title had he returned for one last dance with La Salle.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/generalsports/news/2020/06/08/fan-experience-change-profoundly-amid-covid-19-pandemic-68646">READ: Fan experience to change profoundly amid COVID-19 pandemic</a></li></ul>&quot;I think so, yeah. I think if I stayed, because (of) the guys left when I left,&quot; Mbala said in an appearance on &quot;The Prospects&quot; podcast.Mbala left behind teammates like Ricci Rivero, Aljun Melecio, and Justine Baltazar -- all of whom have since become stars in their own right. Baltazar, in particular, became a two-time Mythical Team member. La Salle, however, has not made the Final 4 since Mbala left the team.Leaving La Salle may have been difficult, but it was a choice that Mbala felt he had to make in order to gain control of his basketball career -- a career that had been a roller-coaster ride up to that point. The center memorably left Southwestern University in 2013 to play for La Salle, but had to go through a two-year residency period. Those two years became three when he was caught playing in a commercial league, a violation of the UAAP rules.&quot;Having to go through what I went, you know… I feel like it&#x27;s being put in the same situation again, where some other people would decide my future, of what will happen,&quot; Mbala explained.&quot;For the second time, I was like, no, I&#x27;m not gonna let that happen again. I would be the one to decide for my future, not other people,&quot; he stressed.Mbala revealed that people within La Salle had advised him to wait for the decision of the Board, who was set to discuss an eligibility rule that would have decided whether or not he could play in Season 81.But at that point, Mbala had already passed up professional offers, and he had no intention of doing so again.&quot;I&#x27;m like, they can just reverse the rule over and over and over. If they didn&#x27;t want me to play, that happened in the past, and I&#x27;m just going to be out there and letting them decide for me,&quot; said Mbala.&quot;And at that point already, I had pro offers that I was saying no to, and I just didn&#x27;t want to be in a situation where I passed up on so many things,&quot; he added. &quot;Being over there and hearing all about the speculations, if I&#x27;m going to play or not, they will vote, and I was like, &#x27;No, I can&#x27;t do this anymore.&#x27;&quot;Mbala signed up for Fuerza Regia, a Mexican team, and has since had stints in France and South Korea. He very nearly played for the Magnolia Hotshots in the PBA, too, before the team decided to stick with Romeo Travis as their import.Right now, Mbala is signed to Limoges CSP, a team in France&#x27;s second tier league.While he has no regrets about leaving La Salle when he did, Mbala admits that he misses the camaraderie of the Green Archers, and the friends he made during his time in the Philippines.&quot;During the moment, you take them for granted but now that I am pro, oh, I miss the guys,&quot; he said. &quot;I miss talking about everything, playing video games. Right now, I am with myself, and it&#x27;s different.&quot;&quot;Every pro player thinks about himself first -- his contract, his family. But as college teammates, it&#x27;s more about being family, winning games together, bonding. It&#x27;s not always like that in pro. I miss the guys,&quot; he added. &quot;People being nice, talking to you -- those are the small things I miss.&quot;<div>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.</div>

Ben Mbala felt he left one collegiate championship on the table when he decided to forego his final season of eligibility with De La Salle University.

Ben Mbala felt he left one collegiate championship on the table when he decided to forego his final season of eligibility with De La Salle University.

In leaving La Salle, Ben Mbala regained control of his hoops career

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In leaving La Salle, Ben Mbala regained control of his hoops career

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 08, 2020 08:16 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 09, 2020 09:15 AM PHT

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UAAP

De La Salle Green Archers

Ben Mbala

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