IT took Donald Gumaru a while to make it to the PBA, but the waiting was certainly worth the wait.
Toiling in the league’s 3x3 circuit for about a year, the 31-year-old guard finally earned his spur in the 5-on-5 game as Barangay Ginebra signed him to a contract for the coming 2023-24 season.
The showing of the 5-foot-11 Arellano University product in the pre-season On Tour impressed the Barangay Ginebra coaching staff so much so he was given a spot in the Kings’ roster for Season 48.
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“We liked him in the On Tour. He played really well,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone of Gumaru. “He’s the shooter that we wanted, and he’s a free agent.”
Gumaru, who shared backcourt chores with Jio Jalalon and Kent Salado during his time with the Chiefs, went undrafted from the 2021 PBA rookie pool.
He later played in the MPBL with the Sarangani Marlins, where he had for teammate Youtube sensation and San Miguel Beer draftee Kyt Jimenez.
But his biggest break came when he was tapped by coach Kirk Collier to suit up for Barangay Ginebra’s 3x3 team where he was part of the quartet of Ralph Cu, Ralph Salcedo, and Kim Aurin which won the franchise’s first two leg titles in the half-court game.
The stint later led to Gumaru being lined up the Kings’ On Tour campaign, with regulars Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Jamie Malonzo on loan to Gilas Pilipinas, and LA Tenorio (health condition), Stanley Pringle (injury), and Christian Standhardinger (vacation) opting not to suit up.
In several occasions where Cone watched the team in the pre-season, Gumaru, 31, caught the attention of the champion coach.
“He’s a feisty defender, he shoots the ball really well, makes good decision on the floor. So yes, I think he can impact us,” said the 65-year-old Ginebra mentor, who is coming off a stunning gold medal stint with the national team in the 19th Asian Games.
The uncertainty surrounding the health condition of Tenorio also led to Gumaru’s signing, despite the veteran guard already being declared free of cancer.
“Again, we’re not 100 percent sure of LA, so we felt we need somebody out there that can fill in a little bit of what LA does, and he’s (Gumaru) a tremendous shooter, he’s feisty like LA,” Cone noted.
“He’s a smaller point guard than what we're used to, but so is LA, and so was Johnny (Abarrientos).”
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