Photo from ASEAN Basketball League
Pao Javelona is taking his act back to the PBA.
The stingy defender earned his return ticket to the pro league after his stellar play with San Miguel Alab Pilipinas in its championship run in the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League.
Team manager Bonnie Tan confirmed that GlobalPort signed the 6-foot guard for the remainder of the season.
Javelona, 25, was drafted in the third round of the 2016 PBA Draft by Phoenix but was the final cut from the team’s roster for that season.
Afer that, the former NU Bulldog played for Marinerong Pilipino in the PBA D-League before taking his act to the ABL this past season.
Javelona averaged 4.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 12.2 minutes in the regional league, but upped his game in the playoffs and helped San Miguel Alab Pilipinas win the title over five hard-fought games against Mono Vampire of Thailand.
His entry bolsters a gutted Batang Pier backcourt rotation which depended heavily on scorers Stanley Pringle and Jonathan Grey.
Javelona will be the latest to join GlobalPort’s hard-knocks guard collection, which already features Nico Elorde, Michael Juico, and Jeff Viernes.