Terrence Romeo says he will forever be indebted to GlobalPort which drafted him in 2013. —SHERWIN VARDELEON
High-scoring guard Terrence Romeo hopes a fresh start with TNT KaTropa will help him fulfill his dream of finally winning a Philippine Basketball Association title.
But before Romeo could think about toppling powerhouse San Miguel Beer or overcoming crowd darling Barangay Ginebra and resurgent Magnolia, he would have to deal with his former team first as he begins life as a KaTropa on Sunday at the start of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
TNT and GlobalPort collide at 6:45 p.m., after Blackwater and Columbian Dyip (Kia) square off at 4:30 p.m. to kick off the import-spiced conference, where defending champion San Miguel, which collected a fourth straight Philippine Cup crown early this month, remains the heavy favorite.
All eyes will be on Romeo, a three-time scoring champion who blossomed into one of the league’s top players at GlobalPort.
“Whatever I’ve accomplished with GlobalPort will remain forever,” Romeo, who was shipped to TNT last month in a deal that also sent former top pick Moala Tautuaa to the Batang Pier, said in Filipino. “I have to do better at TNT. My dream is to win a championship.”
Romeo’s departure from GlobalPort was steeped in controversy following his confrontation with coach Pido Jarencio in the Batang Pier’s quarterfinal loss to Magnolia.
But the former Far Eastern University guard, the fifth pick in the 2013 Draft, said he’d rather focus on the positives.
“I just wish both teams the best,” said Romeo, who forms an explosive backcourt duo with Gilas Pilipinas teammate Jayson Castro.
KaTropa tapped former NBA player Jeremy Tyler to beef up the squad which lost to SMB last year. Selected 39th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA Draft, Tyler played a total of 80 games for the Golden State Warriors, the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks from 2012 to 2014.
GlobalPort will lean heavily on Stanley Pringle while Malcolm White returns for another tour of duty for the Batang Pier, after averaging 21.8 points and 14.8 rebounds in five games last year.
Blackwater will parade Jarrid Famous against Columbian Dyip’s CJ Aiken.