MOURNING GRIPPED THE Philippine basketball community after late Red Lion John Vincent “JV” Gallego, a former Gilas Pilipinas Youth guard, died at the age of 28, on Saturday, July 18, following a vehicular accident along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Meycauayan, Bulacan.
VP Global Management, Gallego’s talent agency, delivers the sad news of the former Red Lion’s fatality through their social media platforms, prompting an outpouring of grief from former teammates and colleagues across every level of his career.
Fran Louie Yu, his former teammate from both Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSK) and Batang Gilas who now plays in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), remembered Gallego as “an incredible person, a great teammate, and a true friend” in a tribute posted on Facebook.
Gallego first drew national attention as a high school standout for CKSK, where he led the Dragons to the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Division I title in the 2013–2014 season and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player (MOP), earning a spot on the NBTC Mythical Five the following year.
His performances caught the eye of the national program as he suited up for Gilas Pilipinas Youth in the 2016 FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship in Tehran, Iran. The five-foot-10 guard scored nine points off the bench in the Philippines’ tournament opener, an 88-74 loss to Chinese Taipei, as the team advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing out to South Korea.
Gallego brought the experience to the collegiate ranks with National University (NU), playing for the Bulldogs from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Seasons 78 to 82. He transferred to San Beda University (SBU) in 2020, though a knee injury forced him to undergo season-ending surgery in 2022, sidelining him for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 98.
He recovered in time to be part of the Red Lions’ 23rd championship run in NCAA Season 99, helping San Beda defeat the Mapúa University (MU) Cardinals, 76-66, in the deciding game of the finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Gallego later played briefly for Bicol in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) in 2024.
The renowned player leaves behind a legacy that spans the national youth team, the UAAP, and an NCAA championship with San Beda; a career that inspired many to dream big and beyond. “You’ll forever be a part of our team and our family,” Yu added.