This one’s for country –Tenorio

TAIPEI—LA Tenorio had one fond thought before Smart Gilas-Pilipinas’ championship game for the 34th Jones Cup against the United States on Sunday afternoon.

“I just thought to myself: What if I win this game by myself for the country,” Tenorio animatedly narrated on Monday in Filipino. “Would you believe that? And I think I probably did. I didn’t know what to feel after the game.

“And to win Most Valuable Player, that was totally unbelievable,” added the 5-foot-8 spitfire, who looked lost in the previous games for the Philippines that no one really thought he would be able to rescue the country in its last two outings.

Well, maybe except for himself.

Tenorio scored a total of 31 points in the Philippines’ last two games, 11 in each of the fourth quarter, and bailed the Filipinos out against Taipei-A and the Americans.

Those performances made headlines back home and lifted his spirits as the Alaska point guard was feeling low going into the tournament after also making the headlines as the subject of a blockbuster trade during PBA Draft Day recently.

Two Mondays ago, Tenorio admitted to being surprised and disappointed after learning that the Alaska coaching staff had offered to trade him to Meralco for two of the Bolts’ draft picks, including No. 4 overall, which turned out to be Cliff Hodge.

“Of course, as a player, you are surprised that no one even told you,” he said. “I have been a solid supporter (of the present coaching staff led by Luigi Trillo), and that’s what hurt me the most.”

Tenorio said that he has an inkling on why the team wanted to ship him out, that maybe it was because he ignored a last-minute plea that he not join the Smart Gilas-Pilipinas team to the Jones Cup to be able to concentrate on Alaska’s preparations for the coming PBA season opening Sept. 30.

“But this is not just for Alaska, this is not just for the MVP group, or the San Miguel group, this is for the Philippines, and of course, no one can stop me,” he said, adding that he has a clause in his contract that allows him to play for the Philippine team.