IF and when a blockbuster trade pushes through, Sol Mercado will become the first-ever player in PBA history to be traded or moved to another team after leading the league in scoring and assists.
Confirmed to be part of a multi-player mega-deal being put together by six teams, Mercado averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 assists in 16 games for the Meralco Bolts in the recent 2012-13 PBA Philippine Cup - figures that made him No. 1 overall in both departments.
Mercado is already the first local player to lead a conference in scoring and assists in the last 12 years, or since Asi Taulava normed league-best figures of 21.3 ppg and 5.4 apg for Mobiline in the 2002 All-Filipino Cup.
But never has a player been traded or moved elsewhere after leading a conference or season in scoring and assists.
The closest to getting that distinction was Ricardo Brown who led the league in scoring with this 21.5 ppg average for Great Taste in 1987 and was No. 2 in assists with his 6.57 norm, behind only the 6.65 apg of Ginebra playing coach Sonny Jaworski.
The first-ever Fil-Am to play in the PBA, Brown found himself in a San Miguel Beer uniform the following season after coming up with those numbers.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
