Romwel Anzures

Gilas Pilipinas veteran Japeth Aguilar against Guam in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Photo from FIBA Basketball.

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<div style="line-height:1.5"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764599897331IMG_9299.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Gilas Pilipinas veteran Japeth Aguilar against Guam in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Photo from FIBA Basketball.MANILA — Was this truly Japeth Aguilar’s final game in a Gilas Pilipinas uniform? <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/12/1/fiba-gilas-pilipinas-overcomes-jericho-cruz-guam-to-protect-home-soil-2125"></a></div><div style="line-height:1.5"><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/12/1/fiba-gilas-pilipinas-overcomes-jericho-cruz-guam-to-protect-home-soil-2125">READ: Gilas Pilipinas overcomes Jericho Cruz, Guam to protect home court</a></div><div style="line-height:1.5"><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/12/1/fiba-japeth-aguilar-honored-ahead-of-final-game-with-gilas-pilipinas-1948">READ: Japeth Aguilar honored ahead of final game with Gilas Pilipinas</a></div>The 6-foot-9 veteran, who has served the national team for 16 years, received his flowers before tip-off of what turned out to be a 95–71 Gilas Pilipinas win over Guam in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Monday.However, head coach Tim Cone hinted that there might still be an encore for his longtime Barangay Ginebra forward.“He knows that if we call him, he could still come back. Who knows?” Cone said during the postgame press conference at the Blue Eagle Gym on the Ateneo de Manila University campus.“His wife always tells my wife: ‘Can you please allow him to retire?’ I’ve said no for the last two to three years. But with Kai [Sotto] nearing his return, there was a chance for him to finally retire.”“But he’s still on call. If something happens with some of our bigs, we will still call him because he’s a freak of nature,” added the Barangay Ginebra mentor. “He is gonna be like Muhammad Ali, maybe. Come back, retire, come back, then retire.”But while Cone hinted at a possible return, Aguilar appeared at peace with his decision.“Very thankful ako kay Coach Tim,” said the Kapampangan star. “And for me, nabubuo na yung core nila. Si June Mar [Fajardo], pwede pa siya mag-stay, pero sobrang happy ako. Yung iiwan ko, nakikita ko na ganyan yung mga players.”Incidentally, Aguilar made his Gilas retirement announcement on the same night Quentin Millora-Brown made his National Team debut on home soil.And with QMB, Kai Sotto, and AJ Edu now manning the paint alongside Fajardo, Aguilar knows that Gilas is in good hands.“Yung mga players, sobrang promising. If magsasama-sama yung group na ‘to, malayo yung mararating nila,” said Aguilar.

#FIBAWC || “He is gonna be like Muhammad Ali, maybe. Come back, retire, come back, then retire," said Cone.

#FIBAWC || “He is gonna be like Muhammad Ali, maybe. Come back, retire, come back, then retire," said Cone.

FIBA: Cone on Aguilar’s Gilas retirement -- ‘He could still come back, who knows?’

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FIBA: Cone on Aguilar’s Gilas retirement -- ‘He could still come back, who knows?’

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 01, 2025 11:09 PM PHT

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Tim Cone

2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers

Japeth Aguilar

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