Rain or Shine import Greg Smith II. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–Greg Smith II expressed dismay over his failure to play during Rain or Shine’s 120-118 win over Terrafirma in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Thursday due to issues surrounding a needed clearance from his previous stint in the Dominican Republic.
“It was something that we’ve been trying to figure out for about a week. The federation and the other team I used to play for, they haven’t responded yet,” said Smith, referring to his time with Leones de Santo Domingo of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto in 2021.
Fiba rules require players to secure a clearance from their previous team and the national federation where they used to play before completing their transfer.
Smith did play last Sunday in a win over Blackwater, scoring 38 points, but it was because Rain or Shine had been given a timetable to process everything.
Smith and the Elasto Painters found out about the predicament shortly before tip off at Smart Araneta Coliseum, prompting coach Yeng Guiao to rely on his locals.
While the likes of Andrei Caracut, Gabe Norwood and Santi Santillan, who scored the winning basket with less than a second left, took charge, Smith’s situation was something that left a bitter taste in coach Yeng Guiao’s mouth.
“It’s kind of unfair to him because after all these years, he’s not able to get that clearance,” Guiao said. “We’ve been able to give all of the needed requirements they were looking for.
“The problem is that the last team that he played for has yet to process those requirements. That is unfair to the player, for the teams, for the national association because we’re talking about his livelihood,” he added.
But Smith took solace in seeing his teammates deliver despite being forced to sit on the sidelines and play the role of cheerleader.
“They got the win tonight, that’s all you could ask for,” he said. “Everybody played great. Seeing guys like Drei (Caracut) step up, Gabe turning back the clock—they haven’t seen that Gabe in a couple of years. That gave everybody else a chance to go out here and show what they have tonight.”