THERE’S no let up as far as building up its backcourt is concerned for Barangay Ginebra in the coming 33rd season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The Kings reportedly acquired spitfire Paul Artadi in a three-team trade yesterday, though coaches of the teams involved refused to neither confirm nor deny the development.

Since Ginebra and Purefoods are sister teams and barred from trading players directly, they needed Air21 in pursuing the proposed deal.

But a source told BusinessMirror that the trade has not yet been consummated but “is as good as done.”

Once finalized, the Giants will receive Ginebra’s future second-round pick while Air21 will get seldom-used guard Paolo Hubalde in the deal. There are reports that incoming Express coach Robert Jaworski personally requested Hubalde, son of another PBA great Freddie who is a kumpadre of the former senator.

When asked of the trade, Express head coach Bo Perasol said that he had no idea on what the team obtained in the three-team swap. Air21 team manager Lito Alvarez could not be reached for comment.

Purefoods mentor Ryan Gregorio also opted to keep mum on the issue while Artadi’s agent, Charlie Dy, told BusinessMirror that he was aware of his ward’s looming transfer to another team but he has no clear picture on where his ward will play in the coming season.

Artadi’s impending arrival in Ginebra would reunite him with Red Warriors teammate Ronald Tubid, also a former Air21 player traded to the Kings last season.

He is expected to play backup to starting guard Jayjay Helterbrand who will be coming back to the team after a stint with the national team.

Ginebra also tagged another point guard in Macky Escalona in the last Rookie Draft. The former Ateneo star was the draft’s No. 10 overall pick.

The 26-year Artadi was a second-round pick by Purefoods three years ago. He would be a good fit to the run-and-gun style of play of the crow-favorite Ginebra.

His exit with the Giants’ camp could open a door for Brandon Cablay, whose status with Red Bull is still uncertain. Cablay was part of the three-player deal that sent Larry Fonacier to San Miguel and the Bulls got Francis Adriano.

Artadi is said to have become expendable when Purefoods hired free agent Chico Lanete. Starting guard Roger Yap just recently inked an extension while management is reportedly keeping Noy Castillo.

UE a win away from history

NOW, it all boils down to one game.

University of the East (UE) has ducked talk about the “S” word for some time, but with one game left in the preliminaries, the Red Warriors can’t escape the fact that they are on the verge of history.

X-periencing the X-treme

THE number of participants is expected to double from last year when the national wakeboarding finals gets under way from October 26 to 28 at the Camsur Water Sports Complex (CWC) in Pili, Camarines Sur.

FILIPINO light-flyweight contender Bert Batawang will finally get his shot at a world crown.

According to Batawang’s manager and promoter Sammy Gello-ani, the Cebuano fighter is set to challenge International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion Ulises Solis of Mexico on October 4 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mark Fernando and his cousin Anthony—both national team members—each carded two-under-par 68s, the same output churned in by the less-known Paul Echavez yesterday in the first round of the 2007 Philippine Amateur Golf Championship in Iloilo City.

Ginebra bags spitfire Artadi in 3-team deal

THERE’S no let up as far as building up its backcourt is concerned for Barangay Ginebra in the coming 33rd season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

SEA Games update: Wushu brass makes modest prediction of 4 gold medals

WUSHU is targeting a modest four gold medals in the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WFP) president Julian Camacho said a four-gold medal haul is attainable despite the reduction of wushu events in the Thai calendar.

Part of the Game: Does UP need a nose lift?

AFTER coach Joe Lipa made the announcement that people in UP were after his head for the Fighting Maroons’ dismal showing in the UAAP, it’s been open season for intriguing news items, eyebrow raising text messages and gripey grape juice from the grapevine about the UPMBT. (That’s the UP Men’s Basketball Team.)