THE cast of 12 imports for the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup is now complete.
After a failed bid to bring in former Detroit Pistons forward Jason Maxiel, who was measured a little over the 6-5 limit, Tropang TNT has planed in former Kansan Jayhawks star Mario Deantwan Little.
Listed 6-6 with shoes on in the US, Little is expected to make the height limit for a Tropang Texters side that is out to sustain its run of winning at least one championship nearly each season since 2008.
The only time the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned flagship team failed to snatch a title was during the 2014 season, when the B-Meg (now Star Hotshots) franchise completed a grand slam.
Little last played in the Korean Basketball League where he led the Anyang KGC to the semifinals of the 2015-2016 season, averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1 steal per game.
He is set to arrive in the country from San Francisco on Sunday morning but his flight from Chicago was delayed.
"#AmericanAirline service was really horrible today. Made me miss my flight thanks a lot," Little tweeted in his @riochitown23 account.
Meanwhile, completing the list of imports is Marcus Simmons, who will don the new jersey colors of the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Simmons is set to arrive later this week. The 28-year-old former University of Southern California Trojan was a mainstay of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants since 2014.
Except for a short stint in Japan in 2011, not much credentials are tucked under his belt.
Phoenix recently negotiated to bring in former two-time NBA Dleague All Star Deandre Liggins, who opted to just try his luck in the coming NBA Summer League.
Here’s a complete list of PBA teams and their confirmed imports.
Ginebra – Paul Harris
NLEX - Bill Walker
Mahindra – James White
Blackwater – Eric Dawson
San Miguel – Arizona Reid
Star – Marqus Blakely
Globalport – Dominic Sutton
Meralco – Allen Durham
Rain or Shine –Dior Lowhorn
Alaska – LaDontae Henton
Talk n Text – Mario Little
Phoenix – Marcus Simmons
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