Six Seasons.
1627 Career Points.
Local MVP.
ABL Champion.
The First and Only Recipient of the ABL Lifetime Achievement Award.
It is no surprise that Leo Avenido would be the first nominee on the Final 21 List for the #ABLAllTime10. Hailing from the Philippines, the 6’2″ guard was undoubtedly one of the first superstars of the ASEAN Basketball League.
Avenido first appeared in the ABL in the league’s inaugural season when he suited up as a Heritage Import for the Brunei Barracudas in 2009.
Leo Avenido was an instant fan favorite as he proved himself to be an able scorer throughout his illustrious ABL career, evidenced by his 1627 career points.
Avenido logged in minutes for multiple teams in the ASEAN Basketball League such as the Brunei Barracudas, the Singapore Slingers, the Saigon Heat, and Mono Vampire. But his most fruitful seasons were when he donned a San Miguel Beermen jersey.
While playing for his motherland, Avenido claimed the Local MVP award in 2012 after playing a vital role in the Beermen securing the #1 seed. The Beermen would eventually make it to the 2012 Finals but ultimately lost to the Indonesia Warriors.
However, Avenido and the Beerman got their revenge over the Warriors the following year. The two teams clashed once again in the 2013 Finals with the Beerman winning the crown this time around.
Leo Avenido would go on to play two more seasons in the ABL. He played his last game in 2016, finishing the season with Mono Vampire.
Avenido will forever be recognized as one of the league’s pioneers and one of its true superstars.