Globalport owner Mikee Romero confirmed yesterday that his team will pursue its original plan during the PBA Rookie Draft this Sunday at Robinsons Place Manila.
“Globalport will definitely pick Stanley Pringle,” Romero said. “Ever since I saw him play in the ABL (Asean Basketball League), I promised myself that this boy will play for me someday. He is what you’d call a franchise-changer.”
Romero believes the 6-foot-1 Filipino-American from Penn State University can make a big difference in his team. After all, he led the Indonesia Warriors to an ABL championship two years ago and was guiding his team to a second title when he got injured and was sidelined for months.
But Romero did not mention how he has come to terms with Pringle regarding the huge $20,000 monthly compensation he is reportedly demanding.
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“What is it exactly about Pringle that greatly impressed you?” the Inquirer asked Romero.
“In the ABL, he didn’t play like a local cager,” Romero said. “Even our imports had much difficulty guarding him.
Pringle joined the NBA draft in 2009 but Romero didn’t say if he thought Pringle was good enough to play in that league.
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Vice President Jejomar Binay was reported to have invited tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan to be his running mate in the 2016 presidential elections.
The business sector knows the report is true, and so does the sports community. But if you ask anyone from these sectors if MVP has shown any interest in the invite, no one can give a concrete answer.
“The prospect just makes him smile,” said a business associate of MVP. “Perhaps he hasn’t given it much thought yet.”
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HOOPVINE: Retired Solar sales executive Nitoy Nocos is one very lucky man. The car he was driving fell off the third floor of a parking buidling in Greenhills, San Juan, but he managed to escape serious injury. Only his pacemaker, which was installed some years ago, may need some rewiring… One of Marc Pingris’ biggest fans sits at ringside of the Azur Arena in Antibes, France, rooting for him and the Gilas Pilipinas team in its tuneup games against teams from Australia, Ukraine and France. Pingris invited his father, Jean Marc Sr., to watch the series, as well as their games in the Fiba World Cup in Spain… The Pilippines placed sixth in the last Fiba Under-18 Men’s championship in Mongolia. SBP executive director Sonny Barrios said he is looking at a Final Four spot for the team in this year’s edition in Doha, Qatar. “If we get lucky, we can even bring home a medal,” Barrios said… Benjie Paras’ second son, Kobe, who’s finishing his high school studies at Cathedral High in the United States, will play in Doha and defend his slam dunk title.