ON THE WINGS OF ARVIN
Arvin Tolentino will be as a marked man in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals between the NorthPort side that he turned into a contender and his ex-team, the crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra squad that traded him to the Batang Pier in the first place.
And there are two reasons for that: Heading into the best-of-seven affair which starts later this month as the frontrunner for the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) and having won two championships while with the Gin Kings from his rookie year in 2020 until 2022.
“Exciting!” Tolentino said with a wide grin after the Batang Pier had just beaten the Magnolia Hotshots in the quarterfinals.
That win put NorthPort on track for a first franchise title, but it will have to go through Ginebra, which eventually saw off Meralco last Sunday.
NorthPort is in the semis for just the third time in franchise history, and is hungry to turn a different page at the expense of Ginebra—which is no stranger to being at this point of the playoff stage.
Tolentino was one of the reasons for the Batang Pier’s rise. Through the quarterfinals, he’s averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 13 games, numbers that could back up his case to win the BPC for the first time.
“It’s a big bonus for me, if I win that,” he said. “But I’m really focused on winning more and getting to the Finals.”
To achieve that, they will need to pass a major test in the Gin Kings, the team that drafted Tolentino in the first round of the 2020 Rookie Draft out of Far Eastern University.
Two titles
Even as a rookie, Tolentino proved to be a reliable contributor to a stacked Ginebra roster, especially during the run to the championship of the 2020 Philippine Cup, the lone conference of that year’s pandemic-shortened 45th season.
He added another ring in the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup before getting dealt to NorthPort before the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup in order for Ginebra to complete the acquisition of the athletic Jamie Malonzo.
“Arvin’s my boy. I told him that,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone said. “I told him when he was traded that this is an opportunity for him to go out and spread his wings, strut his game. And we had multiple conversations about him being a local Justin [Brownlee].
“But he was more confined with our team because there were so many good players around him when he was still young. But now he’s been able to go to NorthPort, establish himself. So, kudos to him. I’m really proud of him for what he’s able to achieve.
“And do I regret [not having him anymore]? I certainly do. I certainly do regret. But I think it was the best thing that ever happened to him in his career.”
And as much as Ginebra will always have a special place in his heart, Tolentino is also keen on the dream he wants for himself and NorthPort.
“It’s always fun and exciting everytime I play against Ginebra, especially with the friendships that we’re built during my time there,” he said.
“It’s going to be an exciting series, but we’re still focused on that goal to take the next step which is to get into the Finals.
