Terrence Romeo tells Leo Austria: ‘I don’t care if I’m starting or not, I just want to win’

MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria is already licking his chops in anticipation of the arrival of Terrence Romeo, the latest addition to the star-studded Beermen roster built around reigning four-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.

Romeo to San Miguel Beer after a failed experiment at TNT was given the go-signal by the PBA on Wednesday and the idea of having another deadly scorer at his disposal had Austria mixing and matching potential lineups in his head.

“I can put him off the bench or make him a starter. It really depends on the game,” Austria told INQUIRER.net on Wednesday.

But one thing is for sure, Austria said Romeo couldn’t care any less whether he’s part of the starting five or coming off the bench.

“We spoke on the phone yesterday (Tuesday) and he told me, ‘Coach, I don’t care if I’m starting or if I’m second or third stringer. I just want to win and help the team.’ And I believe him,” Austria said.

The 26-year-old Romeo, one of the best guards in the country today, has been on a downward slope since his verbal spat with his former coach Pido Jarencio last March that ultimately led to GlobalPort trading him to TNT a month later.

The relationship between Romeo and the Talk ’N Text franchise, however, didn’t last long and it ended with TNT dumping the former Far Eastern University standout to San Miguel Beer in exchange for third stringers David Semerad and Brian Heruela and a 2021 first round draft pick.

“He’s really excited to play and we’re excited to have him also. We welcome him with open arms,” Austria said.