ALL FUN AND GAMES
CANDON, Ilocos Sur—The PBA delegation arrived in this city on Thursday to begin activities for the All-Star Weekend that is making a return to the league calendar after last year’s cancellation.
While it’s another appearance for the likes of Japeth Aguilar, the most prominent among the initial batch of players already here, a lot of the players here are soaking in the experience for the first time.
“My dream was to make it to the PBA and now, I am an All-Star,” NLEx sophomore JB Bahio told The Inquirer before the group left from the PBA Office in Libis the previous night.
Bahio is one of 11 first-time All-Stars selected for the midseason festivities that take place on Sunday at Candon City Arena. The Road Warriors forward was among the reserves picked by coaches to make the two All-Star squads.
While Bahio got in after just his second season in the big league, TNT’s Rey Nambatac finally made it after nine years, joining Bahio on the South team.
“It’s a blessing in disguise because we got an opportunity to play in the All-Star Game and I realize that it’s a fun experience and a chance to give the fans a treat,” said Nambatac.
The All-Star Weekend will return after the event’s supposed staging in Davao was scrapped the previous season.
It will also serve as an appetizer for the Commissioner’s Cup, which tips off on Wednesday. And already, much of the talk here has centered on the moves that shook the field, especially the addition of ex-NBA player Bol Bol as TNT’s reinforcement.
Nambatac acknowledges the “hype” surrounding the 7-foot-3 Bol, who could give TNT a lot of help and the other teams a lot of problems.
“The good thing about hype that fans give about Bol Bol and our team is that it motivates us,” Nambatac said. “We want to prepare even better because we don’t want to frustrate the fans and we want to exceed those expectations.
“But the good thing about the first time that he arrived, Coach Chot made sure he would tell Bol Bol that there’s a lot of hype and there’s a lot of expectations on our team. And it’s a good thing that Coach told him about it. But I’m sure that hype, once he’s physically fit, would excite PBA fans, especially TNT fans.”
Threats to SMB
Converge will also be under a microscope for a bevy of moves it made, including the key acquisitions of Calvin Abueva and Mikey Williams, who finally inked the dotted line and joined the FiberXers’ recent team-building session.
“The pressure is always there, especially after the players that we got,” said Justin Arana, another first-time All-Star, in Filipino. “We just have to stick together more as a team, get to know each other more. Individually, we’re strong; it’s just a matter of how we play as a team.”
TNT and Converge are major threats to San Miguel Beer, which is seeking a second straight crown following its conquest of the centerpiece Philippine Cup more than a month ago. Don Trollano acknowledged the massive challenge they’ll face head-on.
“We got a lot of imports who are NBA-caliber, and it’s a good experience for us on how they play and how they defend. It’s good for the league and we’re excited,” said Trollano.
For now, it’s fun and games for those here, not just for the current crop of players, but also for the four legends who will take part in Friday’s All-Star Weekend opener with the Rookies and Sophomores against the Juniors.
Ranidel de Ocampo, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos and Marc Pingris are going to see action in the contest among the best first to third-year players who were not selected for the main All-Star game.
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