Controversial Mila’s Lechon pulls out from D-League
PBA IMAGES
Amid controversies surrounding the team, Mila’s Lechon has decided to withdraw from the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup.
Team owner Aika Salanguit made the announcement on Monday, citing “internal problems” in fielding a competitive crew which led to their decision to disband the Mighty Roasters’ campaign in their maiden conference.
Mila’s Lechon are 0-4 in its run with an average losing margin of 26.3 points, including a 47-point mauling, 55-102, at the hands of Zark’s Burger-Lyceum last Thursday.
Incidentally, that defeat raised questions regarding the team’s purpose in the league after its players seemingly showed no desire to play the game as they made head-scratching plays and miscues that turned a closely contested game into a humiliating blowout.
Observers saw the Mighty Roasters commit unforced turnovers and forcefully botched their shot attempts in the second half.
Making matters worse were testaments from the Jawbreakers relating that the players from Mila’s Lechon were urging them to run the score up in an apparent desire to stretch the lead to as high as 50 points.
This pathetic showing led the PBA’s technical committee to launch an inquiry, with the league summoning head coach Jesse Ricardo and lead assistant Edward Deveza on Friday. The league also called for the players’ presence on Monday afternoon to air their side of the story.
This isn’t the first time the league newcomer found themselves embroiled in an issue this conference.
The Mighty Roasters severed ties from then-leading scorers Leo Gabo and Andoy Estrella after just one game when the two decided to miss their game against Perpetual on January 30.
Both Gabo and Estrella didn’t give any notice to the Mila’s Lechon brass as they opted to prioritize their commitments with the Quezon City Capitols in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), which had a game later in that day.
Despite the pullout, the management hopes to make a comeback and field in a better team for the 2018 Foundation Cup later this year.
With Mila’s Lechon’s withdrawal from the league, wins of JRU, Perpetual, Gamboa Coffee Mix-St. Clare, and Zark’s-Lyceum over the squad will all be nullified as the conference proceeds with just 12 teams.
