MIKEE Romero’s text message the other day sounded like he had just heaved a long sigh of relief.
“At last the Globalport trades have been clinched. I’m so excited!” he said, right after he got word from Singapore that the blockbuster transactions involving Globalport, Talk ‘N Text, and Meralco, had been approved.
The Globalport owner, sponsor of the PBA board meeting in the Lion City, stayed behind in Manila because of a conflict in schedule.
Mikee had tried to move the trip so he could join, but the Commissioner’s Office said it could not be done. Thus the group left without him.
He said it was okay since his able lieutenant, Erick Arejola, is in Singapore to take charge.
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“Sol Mercado, Gary David and Japeth Aguilar will be my own version of the (Miami Heat’s) Big Three,” Mikee
said.
He said he was tired of being a cellar dweller. In this season’s Philippine Cup, the Batang Pier won only one game, their only victory coming against Meralco, which was distracted during that match because of a burglary that took place in their dugout at SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“I’m tired of always losing and wallowing in the bottom, so I had to take bold steps.”
Above everything else, Mikee looks forward to his reunion with Mercado, who was acquired from Meralco along with Kelly Nabong, JP Belencion and and Yousif Aljamal and for which the Bolts got Vic Manuel, Rey Guevarra, Josh Vanlandingham and the Batang Pier’s 2015 first-round draft rights in return.
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“It’s really some sort of a family reunion. Back in 2007, I personally brought Sol to Manila from the United States to play for Harbour Centre, my team in the PBL.
“Sol is like a son and a brother to me. With him in the team and the acquisition of Japeth, I feel we have undergone a major process of rebuilding. Gary is the only holdover from the old Powerade team,” Mikee said.
The other transaction consummated in Singapore was the trade between Global Port’s Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Talk ‘N Text’s Japeth Aguilar who, up to now, is said to be still in the United States making a bid for a slot in the NBA’s Developmental League.
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Thursday night, I learned from one of the governors that a colleague of his had proposed that the opening of the PBA’s third conference be rescheduled to August, after the 27th Fiba Asia Men’s Championship.
The argument for the proposal was to give the Philippine team—and everyone else—ample time to prepare for the big event.
According to my governor-friend, a number of his colleagues were in favor of the proposal but apparently many more were against it. The board has not come to an agreement as far as the PBA schedule is concerned and it is also not clear how many and which players the ballclubs are willing to lend to the national team.
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HOOPVINE: SBP executive director Sonny Barrios is trying to trace the whereabouts of the 1973 Fiba Asia trophy which the Philippines won. He believes it could be under the safekeeping of then national team manager Dante Silverio… Paging Dante… The fund-raising project initiated by UP alumni JB Baylon and his friends is called “I am PGH—a Person Giving Hope” and the objective, according to JB, is “to inspire a million Pinoys to donate P100 each to the PGH Medical Foundation.” Baylon hopes that and, in the process, people will “realize that every Filipino, no matter his social status, can make a difference in society.” I immediately pledged my P100. Hope you do, too.