JOSHUA Munzon is taking the departure of Arvin Tolentino and William Navarro in a positive manner, saying he's glad that his now-former teammates at NorthPort are in a good situations with other teams.
In a span of a few days, Tolentino signed with Seoul SK Knights in the Korean Basketball League while Navarro was traded to Magnolia, leaving Munzon as the only player left in NorthPort’s ‘Big 3’ that joined forces with Kadeem Jack in their dream run to the PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinals.
READ Seoul SK Knights sign Arvin Tolentino, drop Juan Gomez de Liano
Munzon said Tolentino deserves an increase in his pay.
“We are happy for our guys,” said Munzon after NorthPort’s 94-70 loss to TNT on Friday. “Arvin deserves to go there and make some money. He showed last conference how good of a player he is. He definitely deserves to make his money.”
As for Navarro, Munzon said he is thrilled to see the former Gilas Pilipinas cadet rebuild his PBA career after suffering an ACL injury a few years back.
“He’s (Navarro) worked hard here coming back from his ACL surgery, and see where he is now. I’m happy for him. He is really good this conference. It’s always happy to see somebody move on to a good situation,” said Munzon.
The two's departure, Munzon said, opens an opportunity for the other players to step up and show that they are ready for an increased role.
Munzon had 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks for the Batang Pier in Friday’s game but got little support, ending up as the lone player who scored in double digits.
“It’s more opportunity for everybody now,” said the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft. “Guys that haven’t played a lot get an opportunity to show that they deserve to be on the court and get more minutes.”
“I think it’s the way around for everybody. More opportunities, more chances to show that you can play,” said Munzon.
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