Krystoff “Kyt” Jimenez has come a long way. From being a superstar of YouTube sensation basketball team Mav’s Phenomenal Basketball, he has set his eyes on becoming the next star of the men’s basketball league Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
Standing at 5-foot-11, Kyt Jimenez was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but lived most of his life in Quezon City. Before achieving stardom in the video-sharing platform, he was already a promising athlete, playing collegiate basketball under the University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA(UPH).
In 2018, he made headlines despite the loss that UPH suffered against the Letran Knights during the NCAA Season 94 men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil Flying V Centre. At the same time, Mav’s, an elite basketball training camp, recruited Kyt to lead their team.
From there, he honed his skills while serving as an inspiration to aspiring basketball players. He idolized Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Terrence Romeo and wanted to join the league someday. However, an ACL injury prevented him from growing into a complete player, as he stopped playing the sport for a while.
But when he returned, Kyt Jimenez was stronger than ever. He also had sicker handles and unbelievable shooting, which wowed their fans.
At age 25, he made his debut at MPBL as a member of the Sarangani Marlins back in April. In his first game, Jimenez proved to be a force to be reckoned with by having 22 pts, seven rebounds, and four assists in his first professional game. He also helped his team win, 77-73, against Valenzuela.
Kyt Jimenez making History
On October 10, Jimenez made history in the OKBET-sponsored fourth MPBL season by becoming the first player to record a quadruple-double. He scored 33 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, and 11 steals — the second Filipino to produce such stats in a single game.
The first was Donbel Belano of the Davao Eagles. He racked up 17 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and ten steals in 1999.
OKBET Best Player of the Game!
Coach Kyt Jimenez
•33 pts
•13 rebs
•11 asts
•11 stlsOKBET MPBL 2022 Regular Season presented by Xtreme#OKBET #OKBETPH#OwnTheWin#OKBETxMPBL#XTREMEAppliances#OneStopShopAppliances#XTREMExMPBL pic.twitter.com/34czdsB7QG
— Maharlika Pilipinas Basketbal League (@officialmpbl) October 10, 2022
If going to the National Basketball Association (NBA), only four players had a quadruple-double: Nate Thurmond (Chicago Bulls 1974), Alvin Robertson (San Antonio Spurs 1986), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets 1990), and David Robinson (Spurs 1994).
First Season, First Award
In his first professional career as part of the Sarangani Marlins, Kyt Jimenez averaged 17.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.8 steals. By the end of the regular season, his field goal percentage was 35.3%, with 29.4% from downtown and 76.3% in the charity, earning the title Rookie of the Year (ROY).
His team, unfortunately, did lose in the first round of the playoffs against the Rizal Golden Rice Coolers. But having a phenomenal player like Kyt makes it more likely that his team will always be a playoff contender in the following seasons of MPBL.
For more basketball updates and betting predictions, check OKBET, the sponsor of MPBL’s fourth season.
Contact Us