JUST how deep Arwind Santos can get when it comes to his statements is probably how deep boss Ramon S. Ang will dig into his pockets following San Miguel Beer’s third straight PBA Philippine Cup conquest.
Asked to divulge how much of a financial bonus the Beermen are bound to receive from boss RSA, the poetic Santos politely declined to give a specific amount and only gave a vague clue.
“Parang isang tambak na buhangin sa harap ng bahay,” the SMB star forward hinted before the start of the team’s fans’ day on Wednesday at Robinsons Magnolia.
The Beermen are certainly set to get a pile of cash after taking home the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy for good, becoming only the second team after Talk ‘N Text to achieve the rare feat, and doing it at the expense of Barangay Ginebra, the league’s crowd darlings.
Under the league's Uniform Players Contract, performance bonuses for players are capped until the finals but the PBA gives teams the liberty of handing out an unlimited amount for championships won.
[See How much does PBA players make in terms of bonuses? See SPIN.ph Q&A]
If PBA players' salaries are capped at P420,000 a month and the team salary cap is set at P50 million from P47M in previous seasons, bonuses given by ballclubs to players for won games cannot exceed P6,000 in the eliminations, P8,000 from the quarterfinals, and P10,000 for the finals.
Certain players also have their own separate bonus schemes in their contracts, which is outside the team windfall.
[See Santos wears three most memorable rings on his chest]
According to team insiders, Ginebra players were rewarded with bonuses equivalent to nine times their respective salaries when the team won the Governors Cup last season to end an eight-year championship drought.
Considering San Miguel's most recent feat comes along with a Perpetual Trophy, expect the Beermen's financial windfall to be considerably higher.
So go figure.