ASI Taulava has been activated by NLEX for Wednesday’s game against TNT, which incidentally will be the same night that his jersey number will be retired.
The transaction means that the 50-year-old Taulava will be eligible to play on Wednesday for his 24th season in the PBA, which will move him past Robert Jaworski as the longest-tenured player in league history.
READ: Asi jersey retirement ceremony marks end of long, great career
Taulava joined NLEX practice on Tuesday before the call-up was reflected in the league’s transactions, and hinted that he will be seeing action in the contest.
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“That’s up to coach,” Taulava told SPIN.ph. “That’s a surprise. I want everyone to come out in my retirement game.”
Wednesday could be the first time that a player will be in uniform on the same night of the jersey retirement.
Fitting enough, Taulava’s last game will be against TNT, his first ballclub in the PBA which, then known as Mobiline, drafted him as a direct hire rookie in 1999.
It was also at the Talk ‘N Text franchise where Taulava won his only league MVP award in 2003, the year where he also captured a PBA crown in the All-Filipino Cup and was named Best Player of the Conference.
Taulava also played with Coca-Cola, Meralco, and Air21 before being absorbed by NLEX when it purchased the Express franchise in 2014.
He currently serves as an ambassador for the NLEX company in its projects, but still shows up in the games of the Road Warriors.
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