Stanley Pringle. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—It’s been said numerous times that basketball creates brotherhood and Stanley Pringle showed it when he attended NorthPort’s game against Rain or Shine in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Pringle, who played five years with the Batang Pier, was traded to Barangay Ginebra on Tuesday for Sol Mercado, Kevin Ferrer, and Jervy Cruz but still gave his support to his former team in NorthPort’s 107-105 overtime win over the Elasto Painters.
NorthPort head coach Pido Jarencio said that even though Pringle will be suiting up for a new team, he knows his former gunner will always be a Batang Pier.
“You guys all know that his heart will always be with us, he loves us so much,” said Jarencio in Filipino Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena. “For me, I’m just thinking about the positives and I told him that.”
“I told him ‘Stan, for you and for the team, the important thing is you’ve been a huge part in the lives of the players and coaches’ hearts,” added Jarencio.
Pringle was a five-time All-Star and the 2018 Scoring Champion with the Batang Pier and even though he wasn’t wearing the team’s bright threads, he gamely joined his former teammates in celebrating their sixth win of the conference.
The Batang Pier were down by as much as 25 points, 84-59, in the third quarter but came rushing back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Elasto Painters, 37-16, to force the extra period.
NorthPort then held fort in overtime thanks to Moala Tautuaa’s dagger three-pointer with 26.4 seconds left for a 107-102 cushion.
“That’s my brother man, Stan and I have known each other before we got to the PBA,” said Tautuaa, who finished with a career-high 34 points. “I know that’s not the last time I will see him. He can stop by any time and the good thing about this NorthPort team is we’re a family and we still see each other.”
Tautuaa said that playing for the Batang Pier isn’t just about the Xs and Os, but rather building a familial culture where everyone supports each other.
“It’s more than basketball for us, it’s more than a job, we take care of each other and it makes it easier for us to play because we play for each other,” said Tautuaa.
“We may go our different ways, we’ll always be friends,” said Jarencio, whose squad tied TNT in first place at 6-1. “The only thing’s that changed is our place of work.”