Finals first-timer Terrence Romeo ‘serious’ about mulling retirement if Beermen win title

MANILA, Philippines—Terrence Romeo’s first PBA finals could be also be his last if San Miguel Beer ends up winning the Philippine Cup title for the fifth consecutive time.

Romeo said he’s “serious” about contemplating early retirement if he wins his maiden championship as a key member of the Beermen.

The 27-year-old Romeo has won a handful accolades throughout his career but not one of those is a championship.

At least not yet with San Miguel Beer taking on Magnolia in the All-Filipino finals for the second straight year beginning Wednesday. The Beermen needed only five games to dispose of the Hotshots in last year’s Philippine Cup finals despite not having Romeo and Fil-German big Christian Standhardinger back then.

“Ayun, excited pero syempre hindi ko naman pwedeng isipin lang yun palagi eh. Syempre kailangan pa rin namin maglaro ng yun nga, game, kumbaga best-of-seven so hindi pupwedeng champion na kaagad,” Romeo told reporters during the 2019 Philippine Cup Finals press conference at Eastwood in Libis.

(Of course I’m excited to have a chance at winning my first championship but I can’t just think about that every time. I still need to play the game and it’s a best-of-seven series, we can’t win it right away.)

“Kumbaga, one game at a time tapos kung makukuha namin yun, kahit papaano nakuha ko na yung pinakakulang para sakin. I mean, kulang na award para sa sarili ko. Tapos yun, baka magretire na ko after. Hindi na ako magbabasketbol, retire na pag nag-champion kami. Isang championship lang.”

(We need to approach it one game at a time and if we get it, that would the only thing that’s missing in my career and I guess I can retire after and not play basketball if we win just one championship.)

San Miguel guard Terrence Romeo. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Romeo, who is only in his first conference with the Beermen, said winning a championship is his ultimate dream, which something he has to get a taste of even in his varsity days.

“Pag-iisipan ko pa, pag-iisipan ko pa kasi yun lang talaga yung pinaka-dream ko eh, mag-champion sa PBA kasi wala nga akong championship simula college days ko, high school days tapos nagchachampion ako kumbaga sa barangay lang,” he said.

(I’m still thinking about it because winning a PBA championship is my only dream because I never won a championship ever since my high school days.)

SMB head coach Leo Austria said he had already known about Romeo’s plan of possibly retiring after winning a title the moment he joined the Beermen via trade four months ago.

But assuming San Miguel wins the title, Austria doesn’t think Romeo will call it quits.

“Players who don’t even have a chance of cracking a lineup keep on playing. It’s tough for players to let their careers go even if they don’t have a chance what more with the likes of Terrence who has yet to reach his full potential. He still has a lot more to show,” Austria said.