FOR the second time, Justine Baltazar has made himself available in the PBA Rookie Draft.
The coveted big man submitted his application to the league office on Wednesday and easily emerges as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the July 14 event to be held at Glorietta, Makati.
The big man out of De La Salle initially applied for the Season 47 Draft, but withdrew at the last minute after being deluged with tempting offers to play in the Japan B.League.
But Baltazar is expected to keep his name in the list this time especially with Converge owning the top pick.
It's no secret the involvement of Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda as one of the top officials of the FiberXers and a known benefactor of Baltazar. The native of Mabalacat, Pampanga currently plays for Pineda with the Pampanga Giant Lanters, the defending MPBL champions.
After pulling out of the draft, Baltazar took his act to the B. League with the Hiroshima, Dragonflies in a stint that didn’t pan out as expected.
He later returned to the country and took his act to Pampanga, eventually leading the Giant Lanterns to their first event MPBL national championship where he emerged as MVP of both the season and finals.
If ever he ends up with Converge, Baltazar will be reunited with college coach Aldin Ayo. The two won a UAAP men's basketball championship together back in 2016.
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