CALAMBA — Uling Roasters-Butuan City will be without a key piece as Chico Lanete will be sitting out the Grand Finals of the 2020 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup presented by TM.
The team agreed to take the 41-year-old veteran out of the team for the finale after he suffered a swollen left shoulder back in Leg 4.
"Everyone on this team is a leader. We all came together to make that choice," said Karl Dehesa on Thursday.
Without Lanete, carrying the flag for Butuan are Dehesa, Franky Johnson, Chris de Chavez, and JR Alabanza.
It was a tough but necessary choice for Lanete as he gives way to his younger teammates in their bid to take home the P1 million cash prize.
"Napakabigat sa akin kasi Grand Finals, gusto ko talaga maglaro. Pero wala akong choice," he said.
"Mas healthy kasi sila kaysa sa akin. Nandito pa rin ako para i-guide sila at i-cheer. Di ko naman gusto magka-injury, pero may tiwala ako sa teammates ko."
Lanete has played a huge part in Butuan's success this season, including in its Leg 3 championship that made it the only team outside of Family's Brand Sardines Zamboanga City to capture a crown in his bubble.
The heightened level of physicality has truly caught up with the 6-foot guard, who admitted playing hurt in that Leg 4 championship against Zamboanga City last Tuesday.
"Nung isang araw pa to. Tinitiis ko lang talaga," he said. "Sabi naman sa akin ipahinga ko lang."
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