CHICAGO – The unique way mysteries stimulate our curiosity is the sole purpose why we are almost immediately spurred to search for answers.

Here’s one that stunned our local basketball community.

Why is Jamie Malonzo, a certified PBA star with national team credentials, suddenly team-less in the Japan B.League after a mere five games into the season?

We endeavored to find out from the former Ginebra forward himself, but he did not respond to multiple calls and text messages. So we did our own research and here is what we discovered.

One theory is that the 29-year-old “wasn’t in shape,” a person with knowledge of both Jamie and the B.League told me in a telephone interview. It’s a supposition that has a germ of truth given that Malonzo was barely used in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia last August.

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NOT THE BEST VERSION?

Not in shape does not necessarily connote weight or conditioning issues, it could also mean “mentally unprepared” in light of the facts that Malonzo had a rough couple of years where he endured struggles that included a very public fight in a fastfood joint and a nine-month layoff following a lower leg injury.

But a local agent with clients in the B.League surmised that a “bad fit” resulted in scant playing time that hastened the Kyoto Hannaryz’s need for a replacement.

It could also be possible, the agent added, that Jamie didn’t take the benching well considering his star status. Malonzo may have reacted negatively in practice or at the bench, closing the avenue for allowing the process to work out.

jamie malonzo

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This is a stark reminder for PBA players eyeing a jump overseas. It’s a jungle out there and it will swallow you like a quicksand.

So, what happens to the two-year, $20,000 a month contract he reportedly signed?

“A few years ago, all contracts were guaranteed, plain and simple. The Japanese teams are still very generous but they’re not stupid anymore,” a FIBA agent told me in a separate telephone interview.

NO MORE UNLIMITED FREE MONEY.

What he meant is that buyout clauses are now embedded in almost all deals, saving the team from having to pay the entirety of players’ contracts when things go sideways.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity because Malonzo is not a client, the agent gave his expert opinion.

“Players in this situation usually get up to three months of extra salary, kind of like a severance pay that will assist them while waiting to sign with another team.”

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Gone are the days where Malonzo could have potentially been owed the entire 24 months.

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Still, given that B.League players start getting paid on August 1, Malonzo earned a nifty sum for the experience.

The general consensus among all those I talked to is that Jamie is good enough to be an Asian import. He just has to find the right coach with the right system that is conducive to his skill set.

Even if this Japan sojourn wouldn’t pan out, Malonzo should not be mocked for a so-called “failure.”

If anything, he deserves our admiration for boldly getting out of his comfort zone to try something that can make him better as a person and a basketball player.

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