‘BILLY RAY BATES IS THE GREATEST IMPORT EVER’

The Philippine Basketball Association has seen many great imports in its 37 years of existence. But one name — Billy Ray Bates — holds a special place in the hearts not just of PBA fans, but of its greatest players.

“Madami na akong nakitang import na dumating, umalis at bumalik, pero walang katulad si Billy Ray Bates,” said Philip Cezar, who played with the man dubbed “The Black Superman” in Crispa’s 1983 Grand Slam run. “He’s not only a great import, but he also made his teammates better. Hindi niya pinupuwersa yung galling niya kasi natural na lumalabas.”


Cezar’s partner-in-crime in those legendary Redmanizers squads, Atoy Co, concurred.

“Bates is the greatest import I’ve ever seen,” said Co. “He can play inside and out and he’s unstoppable, especially during the time he played for Crispa. And he was up against a group of great imports, such as Norman Black and Lew Massey.”

Even opponents remain in awe of Bates’ exploits in the league. Three-time PBA Most Valuable Player Bogs Adornado, who starred for the Great Taste team that battled Bates’ Crispa squad in 1983, shares the opinion of Cezar and Co.

“Definitely, Billy Ray Bates is the best import,” he said.

Continue Reading at InterAKTV

AGUILAR SUITS UP FOR TEXTERS AGAINST BOLTS

Japeth Aguilar makes a return stint in the pro league, two other Smart Gilas mainstays make their pro debut while two-time MVP winner Willie Miller plays for his fifth ball club in Day Three of the 2011-12 PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo today.

Aguilar, the 2009 top draft pick who had a one-game stint with Burger King, joins Talk n Text as it starts its all-Filipino title defense against Meralco at 7:30 p.m.

Petron Blaze, the Governors Cup champ which repulsed B-Meg, 73-69, last Wednesday, goes for a follow-up win as it takes on Barako Bull at 5:15 p.m.

It’s an interesting twin-bill to be marked by the initial outing of Aguilar with the Texters, Jason Ballesteros with the Bolts and Dylan Ababou and Miller with the Energy Kings.

Four other players in Don Allado, Jondan Salvador, Alein Maliksi and Paul Sorongan play their first game with the newly overhauled Barako team (formerly Air21) pitted against a Petron side beefed up with the addition of Chris Lutz.

The Boosters were also perked up by the return of Dondon Hontiveros although the Cebuano player will have to sit down the next couple of days after hurting his calf in their game against the Llamados.

Petron is also looking to sign up free agent Rob Reyes while awaiting the return of Jay Washington and Rabeh Al-Hussaini from injury.

Likewise starting the season with a crippled lineup is Talk n Text.

Continue Reading at The Philippine Star

Rain or Shine squeaks past Ginebra in opening day thriller

Rain or Shine eked out a thrilling 94-93 win over crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra at the start of the 37th season of the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

JC Intal muffed a potential game-tying free throw with 1.3 seconds left, and John Wilson’s follow-up at the baseline also missed the mark for the Kings, who again dropped an opening-game assignment at the start of the season.

The win somehow preserved the outstanding debut of Elasto Painters rookie Paul Lee, who came through with an all-around effort in 31 minutes.

Lee, the No. 2 overall pick in the August draft, immediately created an impact in the first half, scoring 13 points in the first half where the Elasto Painters grabbed a 44-37 lead.

He finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with five rebounds, eight assists and two steals, despite shooting 0-of-6 from the three-point zone.

The scores:

Rain or Shine 94 – Lee 21, Chan 18, Norwood 11, Buenafe 10, Cruz 8, Quinahan 7, Matias 6, Belga 4, Rodriguez 4, Ibanes 4, Arana 1.

Ginebra 93 – Intal 16, Caguioa 16, Helterbrand 11, Tubid 8, Cortez 8, Wilson J. 6, Canaleta 6, Villanueva 6, Labagala 5, Mamaril 5, Wilson W. 4, De Ocampo 2, Cervantes 0.

Quarters: 20-19, 44-37, 77-62, 94-93
Continue reading at InterAKTV

Raymundo inks P9.2 million pact under new wage ceiling

WUHAN – Kerby Raymundo became the first player to benefit from the wage hike formulated and approved by the PBA board of governors as he signed a two-year contract extension deal with B-Meg guaranteeing him a pay of P420,000 a month in the 2012-13 season.

“(B-Meg team manager) Alvin Patrimonio just called up, informing me of the signing,” said B-Meg governor Rene Pardo, among PBA officials who flew in here to support Smart Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the ongoing 26th FIBA Asia Championship.

“Negotiations took a while to finish as Kerby wanted to get the new maximum for the next two years. We told him ‘wait, let’s see how he fares first this season (coming from injury),’” Pardo said.

The two parties agreed to a P9.24-million deal for two years with Raymundo to get the old maximum of P350,000 per month in 2011-12 then an increase of P70,000 a month in the next campaign.

The board approved a new wage and bonus scheme in its most recent meeting a few days back.

Unable to take advantage of the new scheme are star players like Mark Caguioa, Eric Menk and Gabe Norwood, who have signed new contracts before the board passed the wage hike proposal of commissioner Chito Salud.

Salud, board chairman Mamerto Mondragon, vice chair JB Baylon, treasurer Robert Non, Talk n Text’s Patrick Gregorio and PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial also came here to cheer for the Nationals in their games versus Jordan and Japan on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

They flew back to Manila yesterday morning. Baylon and Gregorio, however, are set to return here tomorrow.

Pardo said the Llamados are upbeat on their chances in the upcoming season with Raymundo, Rico Maierhofer and Rafi Reavis back from injuries. They’re also excited to play under new coach Tim Cone.

“The team is a joy to watch even in practice. The starting five and the second unit are well balanced. They compete in practice,” said Pardo.

SOURCE PHILSTAR

Blaze of Glory

Petron’s shattering win over Talk n Text Sunday night was not only a question of revenge but also redemption not only for the team but for a number of Boosters.

The Boosters’ resounding 85-73 triumph before a big crowd of 17,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum put to rest some of the personal demons that had hounded them and served as some sort of a breakthrough in their respective careers.

There is Arwind Santos coming in second to TnT’s Kelly Williams in the rookie draft but outshining the 2006 top pick in the PBA Governors Cup title series to clinch the playoff’s best player honors.

“They were saying there was a jinx (for me not being in a champion team). The curse is gone,” said Santos in Filipino.

The FEU alumnus was runner-up to Williams in the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year race and in the 2007-08 MVP derby.

There is import Anthony Grundy, who came in as third choice, nailing a first-ever championship with a swashbuckling performance in Game 7.

“This is what you dream of. I’m proud to get this for Arwind, Alex (Cabagnot) and myself,” said Grundy.

There is Danny Ildefonso, the former MVP who typified the Boosters’ unwavering faith and desire as the vanguard of the scrappy, injury-laden squad – a role he played to the hilt only a few months after wondering whether he could ever run again.

And there is coach Ato Agustin, reaching a new milestone in a young coaching career with a major triumph in his rookie year only to lose some of its sheen by revisiting a sorry run-in with TnT coach Chot Reyes.

“I’m sorry but please let me say this. I have no debt of gratitude to the guy (coach Chot Reyes). He’s saying he was the one who brought me here from the province, but it’s not true. He mentioned my salary. Yes, I was with him in Fuji team (in the old PABL) but I don’t even know why he’s there,” said Agustin in Filipino.

But Reyes cleared the issue and set the record straight.

“I never said I was the one who got him from Pampanga. I said as team manager of Fuji, one of the players we signed to a P3,000 salary a month was an unknown from Pampanga,” said Reyes. “I never said he owes me a debt of gratitude. I don’t know what his beef is. I don’t want to stoop that low. It’s over. They won. Congrats to them.”

The triumph also took a new twist toward the end of the volatile playoff when Agustin said the feat prevented the Tropang Texters from joining the elite grand slam club where he belonged as member of the San Miguel Beer’s Triple Crown team in 1989.

“We’re really challenged. My teammates were urging me to defend our grand slam,” said Agustin, who rose to the challenge and foiled TnT from joining the ranks of grand slam champions that include only Crispa, San Miguel Beer and Alaska.

“Nung binigyan kami ng pagkakataon maka-tsamba, tsinambahan namin sila apat na beses (When we were given the chance to buck the odds, we did it to them four times),” said Agustin.
Setting aside the scathing remarks, Agustin did a tremendous job that netted the San Miguel Corp. franchise a 19th PBA championship.

The season-ending triumph also held its own against Talk n Text’s two championships with a remarkable .0723 winning percentage in the year –the most by any team since Great Taste notch .736 in 1984.

The victory was also a sweet revenge for the team, which lost to TnT in the Philippine Cup finals.

Source: Phil Star

Curse ends for heartbreak kid Arwind Santos

Those were the words out of Arwind Santos’ mouth shortly after leading the Petron Blaze Boosters to a game 7 victory Sunday night to win the 2011 PBA Governors’ Cup.

“Sabi nga nila sa PBL, sa UAAP, nag-champion ako, pero malas daw ako dito. Siguro ngayon putol na yung paniniwala nila na ganyan,” he added.

It took Santos five long years before he won his first title in the PBA, in a journey that has been marked by one heartbreak after another. Despite a sterling amateur career, he often struggled to find the glory that came so easily to him before he entered the professional ranks.

Apart from being part of the losing team in the finals twice, Santos had been runner-up for the league’s Most Valuable Player award three times. But on Sunday, all the glory was his; he led his team to the title and also won the finals MVP award.

Perhaps fittingly, his moment of triumph came against Kelly Williams, his friend and rival.

“Hindi kami nagpapansinan nung series kasi alam namin may mga trabaho kaming kailangan gawin and yun eh tulungan ang team namin,” said Santos. “Pero magkabigan kami. In fact, kumpare ko nga yan eh.”

The two entered the league the same year; Williams was picked first, while Santos was second.

And for the past few years, it seemed that Santos’ destiny was to remain just that: No. 2.

Continue reading at interaksyon

Atom bomb explodes: Ato Agustin lets it all out after winning championship

Ato Agustin’s speech shortly after he led the Petron Blaze Boosters to the 2011 PBA Governors’ Cup title Sunday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum was explosive.

“Nung binigyan kami ng pagkakataon para maka-tsamba,” he added. “Naka-tsamba kami ng apat na beses.”

His post-championship words reflected the drama and animosity of a championship series that had become personal.

After game 3, Agustin challenged his counterpart, Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes, into a fistfight, after the Tropang Texters gave the Boosters a sound 132-105 beating and a 2-1 series lead.

Despite the backlash against him, Agustin’s actions seemed to energize the Boosters, which ended up winning three of the next four games.

But even after winning the series, the Petron Blaze coach couldn’t help but say a few more choice words against Reyes.

“Gusto ko lang linawin na hindi siya ang kumuha sa akin, nagkasama lang kami sa team, pero hindi siya ang kumuha sa akin na gaya ng sinasabi niya,” said Agustin, alluding to Reyes’ statement in the Philippine Cup Finals that the former San Miguel great’s first contract was handed by the Talk ‘N Text coach. “Si [former Lyceum coach] Coach Boy Afable at si Coach Turo [Valenzona] ang kumuha sa akin kaya wala akong utang na loob sa kanya.”

Continue reading at interaksyon

Danny I's night to cherish

By JONAS TERRADO MB.COM.PH - MANILA, Philippines — No one gave them a chance. All the pundits said it’s going to be a sweep.

Even the broadcasters were already expressing their eulogies for the impending demise of the Petron Boosters with still five minutes to go, saying they were tired and lacked a strong second unit.

But in a championship series, don’t count out a team until the final basket is thrown.

That was the case with Petron Sunday night.

The Boosters were practically given up for lost that even the crowd shied away from the opener with the SMART Araneta Coliseum nearly half empty in contrast with the UAAP game between Ateneo and FEU just hours earlier which rocked and rolled with spectators estimated to be tripled that of the PBA game.

But with Petron’s surprising 89-88 win, the PBA may have found the key it needed to bring in the fans.

If Petron’s performance will be a gauge, the final has suddenly blossomed into possibly a watchable and exciting series.

As expected, Petron Blaze coach Ato Agustin brushed aside talks that they have become the favorites.

Not at all, he said, we’re still the underdogs.

Agustin has always loved playing the underdog card.

"Halos lahat tingin nila na 4-0 nila kami pero ngayon 1-0 na kami," said Agustin. "Siguro gagawin na yan 4-1 na lang at ganun naman sasabihin nila e pinagbigyan kami. I hope they'll continue saying na pinagbibigyan kami."

Still, it isn’t too remote to also believe that Agustin hopes their 89-88 win – courtesy of Danny Ildefonso’s buzzer-beating basket – would be the catalyst they need to change the complexion of the series.

Another win Wednesday, he said, and the finals will show a totally different picture. But he believes that it would take another extraordinary effort to beat the Texters for the second straight time in the Finals.

The win shocked most fans, the self-styled experts included.

With TNT’s superior and deeper line-up – experts had said the series would be a walk in the park for the Texters.

The surprise win, engineered by a Hail Mary shot from veteran Danny Ildefonso just before time expired, capped a furious Petron rally from 16 points down in the second quarter.

The Boosters were still trailing by seven points in the last four minutes until Ildefonso made the first of his late-game heroics by stealing the ball from Larry Fonacier to give the Boosters the lead, 87-86.

And when Jimmy Alapag fed Ryan Reyes to regain the lead for TNT, 88-87, 10.1 seconds left, Ildefonso completed the shocker with a baseline jumper that hit nothing but net.

Though it was already late at night – the game started 30 minutes late or more – the crowd rose to its feet to pay tribute to one of the biggest stars of the league.

Ildefonso finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a performance that proved that he’s not yet over the hill.