Jayjay Helterbrand. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Two years after announcing his retirement in the PBA, Jayjay Helterbrand will be back on the court but for a different team and a different league.
Helterbrand has signed with the Imus Bandera in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, the team announced Monday.
“We’re happy to have finally signed Jayjay Helterbrand into our roster. His overall experience, basketball IQ, and leadership would definitely provide a huge boost for our bid in the upcoming season,” said team manager Lou Abad.
Helterbrand is turning 43 this year but Imus believes the Barangay Ginebra legend can still hang with the big boys at MPBL.
“He can still play. As you can see, he is still well-conditioned given that he has not stopped playing regularly in different leagues. He can still keep up with the young guys,” Abad said.
The dazzling guard won six PBA championships all with Ginebra, a team he played for from 2000-2017. Helterbrand, a member of the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players, was also named Season MVP in 2009 and a Philippine Cup Finals MVP in 2007.
He will team up with actor Gerald Anderson and former pro James Martinez to name a few at Imus.
“We’re thrilled to have Jayjay Helterbrand and Gerald Anderson play side-by-side with each other. Their additions, along with the other players that we have, will surely bolster our squad,” said Abad.
“It’s a big win not only for our team, but for the whole league as well as we try to help MPBL grow in terms of competition level and our fanbase.”
Imus opens its campaign in the 2019 Lakandula Cup on Thursday against Caloocan City at Caloocan Sports Complex.