IT seems Filipino fans have not seen the last of Jimmy Alapag.
With several players begging off—for one reason or another—from their inclusion on the Gilas Pilipinas pool, Alapag could be coming out of retirement.
The BusinessMirror learned that Gilas Pilipinas officials are wooing the former national and Talk ‘N Text point guard to answer the call of duty for the last time in the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asia Men’s Championship in September in China, the continental qualifier for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The 37-year-old Alapag called it quits on January 9 after serving the Philippine team in the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain and the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
The 2011 Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is now the team manager of Talk ‘N Text and was designated as one of the assistant coaches of Tab Baldwin for the Asian championship in Changsa in Hunan province from September 23 to October 3.
Alapag, also the 2003 Rookie of the Year, is also one of the movers of the “Puso 2019” campaign of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), which is bidding to host the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
Among the players who begged off from the pool even before Gilas Head Coach Tab Baldwin has revealed his choices were Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s LA Tenorio (fatigue), San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo (foot injury) and Marcio Lassiter (personal) and Star forward Marc Pingris (personal).
The SBP will only reveal the members of the pool next week, or after the federation has ironed out its negotiations with PBA teams. The PBA has reneged on its promise of baring the Gilas pool members right after the finals of the Governors’ Cup.
SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios admitted Baldwin is in a predicament in immediately forming his team.
“We should be realistic. Coach Tab has to deal with the cards dealt before him. It happened to Coach Chot [Reyes]. Remember? Lassiter and Greg [Slaughter] begged off to join his team,” Barrios said. “I live by this credo: Let’s just appreciate the half-filled portion of the glass rather than lament over the half-empty [one].”
Barrios said they could be announcing the pool’s composition on Monday. But it would no longer be a 26-man pool, he said.