THE two may no longer be teammates but CJ Perez and Jackson Corpuz have remained very good friends.
Perez and Corpuz developed a close bond during their days with Columbian and that didn't change after the mercurial forward with the ever-changing hair color was traded to Magnolia in exchange for Aldrech Ramos.
Corpuz said he Perez and another Columbian teammate, JP Calvo, are like brothers.
“Pinaka-close ko talaga si CJ at si (JP) Calvo,” said the 31-year-old Corpuz, who played for the Columbian franchise from 2017 to 2019. “Para kaming magkakapatid. Kahit nalipat na ako, nagkikita-kita pa rin kami. Tamang bonding, chill, kain.”

Even though they are now with different teams, Perez said he is proud of how Corpuz has fit in at Magnolia seeing how well he played in a tune-up game against Columbian last February.
On Sunday, Corpuz made waves in his Magnolia debut as he finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds in the Hotshots’ 94-78 opening-day loss to San Miguel.
“Sobrang proud ako sa kanya,” said the 2019 Rookie of the Year. “Nakikita ko ‘yung dedication niya. May gusto siyang patunayan.”
“’Yung energy niya nandoon pa rin. Hindi na siya kung saan-saan pumupunta. Nakukuha na niya ‘yung sistema ni coach Chito,” said Corpuz.

When told about Perez’s statements, Corpuz said he is only looking to absorb what head coach Chito Victolero has been teaching since he came on board at Magnolia.
“Every practice, sinasabihan talaga rin nila ako lagi kung ano ang dapat ko gawin, ano dapat ko maitulong sa team. Sinusunod ko lang ‘yung mga payo nila,” said Corpuz.
With his first game as a Magnolia player now in the books, Corpuz said he looks forward to facing his former team during the Philippine Cup.
“Oo siyempre, gusto ko rin magpakita rin sa kanila. Gusto ko rin talunin sila. ‘Yun naman ang goal namin. Every game talaga, must win. One point or mas mataas pa. Abangan na lang natin pag nagtagpo kami,” said Corpuz.
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