WITH the PBA Season 50 draft just a week away, fans have made memes about top rookie prospects likely ending up in pereniial cellar-dwelling teams.
But for a former PBA player who was able to play for both an expansion franchise and a talent-laden team, ending up in a lowly balllcub that can offer plenty of playing time can sometimes be better than joining a stacked title contender.
Mark Yee, who donned the Burger King and TNT jerseys during his time in the PBA, believes that for a player to better prove his value and hasten his development, it will be better to be picked by teams like Terrafirma and Blackwater.
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“Kasi dun may chance sila na magamit ng todo at makapaglaro ng mahaba-habang oras. Pag kasi sa stacked team ka, hindi ka magagamit. Bababa kumpyansa mo, baba ang value mo,” said the Abra Solid North Weavers veteran.
“Dun na papasok yung sinasabi ko na hindi ka tatagal sa liga. Kasi hindi ka ginamit, pag nag-renew ka, mababa na o mas masama, hindi ka na i-renew,” said Yee, who also played for Meralco, GlobalPort and Kia before finally finding a home in the MPBL.
Yee cited his time with coach Yeng Guiao at Burger King, where he logged an average of 19.5 minutes before he was shipped to TNT where he played behind the team's stars Ryan Reyes and Jayson Castro in a loaded backcourt.
“Nung nasa Burger King ako, nagagamit ako ni coach Yeng. Boy Scout ako, lagi lang handa, pero nagagamit ako. Nung nalipat ako sa TNT, dun medyo nabawasan playing time ko, pero Boy Scout ako, kasi si coach Chot [Reyes] naman may magic bunot yan,” he said.
“Kaya yan ang pino-point out ko. If lalaro ka sa team na magagamit ka, tataas kumpiyansa at laro mo kasi nagagamit ka. Pag nakaupo ka lang, wala ka performance. Dadagain ka na sa dibdib pag ginamit ka tapos most of the time, yun nga puro ka error o nagdadalawang isip ka na tumira,” said the former San Sebastian enforcer.
Yee stressed that the PBA has the best players in the country and the level of competition is high.
“Piling pili ang mga nakakapasok dun. Kaya yung mga kalaban mo run, ibang level talaga. Kaya it’s either paghandaan mo bawat laro kahit hindi ka ginagamit o magre-relax ka na sarili mo, na pag ginamit ka, magkakalat ka. Dun na masisira ang value mo, barya na next contract mo, hanggang sa tuluyan kang mawala sa liga,” he said.
“Ang dami nang naging ganyan. Ayaw ko na lang pangalanan pero alam ng mga fans sino-sino yun. Magagaling tapos nakuha ng malakas na team, naging second unit, third unit hanggang sa di nagagamit. Eventually nawala sa PBA, pinalitan ng mga mas bata,” Yee said.
Yee explained that playing for a stacked team entails competing every single day in practices and games for minutes in every position.
“Ang lalakas kasi ng ibang teams. So meaning, pag average lang laro mo o kaya bata ka at hindi ka pa subok, mawawala ka sa rotation. Yun ang masakit lalo na sa mga rookies,” he said.
As example, Yee cited Arvin Tolentino, who languished on the bench at Ginebra, but blossomed into a star after he was traded to the Northport Batang Pier.
“Yan, magandang example si Arvin. Nung na-draft siya ng Ginebra, halos hindi siya nagagamit. Blessing in disguise, na-trade siya sa NorthPort, nagamit siya. Kita mo naman siguro nangyari, nasa Korea na siya ngayon,” he said.
“Tingin mo ba kung hindi siya na-trade ng Ginebra nasa Korea siya ngayon?” he asked.
At Ginebra, Tolentino only averaged 5.3 points and 3.45 rebounds per game, when playing at all. Those figures ballooned to 21.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.75 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game on an average of 36.7 minutes of action in his last two seasons with the Batang Pier where he also won his only Best Player of the Conference trophy.
Asked if it has become a tradition in the PBA for some top teams to collect potential superstars and hold on to them so other teams can’t get their hands on these players, Yee could only shake his head.
“Hindi ko alam, ano sa tingin n'yo? Nangyayari yun pero hindi ko alam. Basta ang alam ko nakikita naman ng mga fans yun,” he said.
“Nakakaawa talaga ang mga players pag naging ganun kasi nasasayang ang careers nila. Hindi nagkakaroon ng chance na ilabas ang mga laro nila. Nakakalungkot talaga,” he said.
Blessed with in the MPBL for the past seven years, Yee is grateful that the league has given players like him second chance in their careers.
“Yun ang kagandahan ng MPBL, may landing spot kami ngayon in case bigla kaming mawala sa PBA. Na-e-extend namin ang aming basketball careers. Kung wala, papano na?” he said.
Now back to his usual supporting role at powerhouse Abra, Yee bared he has learned to adapt to the situation.
“Masaya ako dito sa Abra kasi hindi man ako lagi naka line-up, nakakatulong na ko ng coaching staff magdevelop at tumulong sa mga young players. At isa nga dyan yung pag guide sa kanila in case they make the big jump sa ibang liga,” he said.
Yee prays for Geo Chiu
“Di ba isa nga ako sa nag advise kay Geo Chiu na pag isipan nya mabuti yung pagpapa-draft ngayon. Kasi honestly, ngayon pa lang namin talaga siya hinahanda for tougher competitions. At since nagpa-draft na siya, isa ako sa nananalangin na sana tama ang desisyon nya,” said Yee, echoing the concern of Abra Solid North team owner Rep. JB Bernos and coach Yong Garcia.
“Kasi kung mapunta siya sa teams na hindi siya magagamit, sayang lang height at talent nya. So ako, I am praying kay Daddy God na mapunta si Geo sa team na kailangan siya at gagamitin siya,” he said.
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