Veterans-RSJ battle caps All-Star show

LAOAG—Showtime is what it will be all about today when the Veterans clash with the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors (RSJ) squad to cap the annual PBA All-Star Weekend at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena here.

Tip-off is at 6 p.m., shortly after the Slam Dunk Contest where KG Canaleta, after making the final round of the 3-Point Shootout on Friday, will gun for his fifth title.

The Veterans have won the last three times that the All-Star festivities adopted this format, pulling off the feat from 1999 before the North vs South match-up was used.

And this year, the Veterans again have the edge because of a complete team from top to bottom, as the RSJ will be handicapped with only one big man in Rabeh Al-Hussaini in the lineup.

Japeth Aguilar passed up the all-star stint along with other Talk ‘N Text regulars, while Asi Taulava and Mac Cardona of Meralco will take over the spots vacated by Tropang Texters Ranidel de Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag in the Veterans squad.

Bo Perasol of Powerade will call the shots for the RSJ, while Ryan Gregorio will handle the Veterans vice Talk ‘N Text’s Chot Reyes, who has to attend to a more important matter.

Gunslingers James Yap of recently crowned Commissioner’s Cup champion B-Meg and Gary David of Powerade head the starting unit of the Veterans.

“This is a dream come true for me, to play in the All-Star Game,” RSJ starting forward Dylan Ababou of Barangay Ginebra said as he shares the backcourt with No. 1 Draft choice JV Casio and Petron Blaze’s Marcio Lassiter.

Before the main event, Canaleta will try to cement his place as the best local dunker of all-time when he battles it out with three other contestants in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Canaleta has won the event four times, three of them successively in the middle of the last decade, before prevailing again in 2010.

“I am excited, because it’s not everyday that you get to win an event for the fifth time,” said Canaleta of Barangay Ginebra, who finished tied for second in the 3-Point Shootout behind Mark Macapagal.

Elmer Espiritu of Air21, JC Intal of B-Meg and former champion Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine are the other contestants.

The Slam Dunk contest will also miss the 6-foot-9 Aguilar, the former Western Kentucky University reserve who is a certified high-flyer and creative slammer. He would have been one of the fancied bets along with Canaleta.