FIRST impressions usually last, but that apparently doesn’t apply to Terrence Romeo as far as San Miguel big boss Ramon Ang is concerned.
The 29-year-old Romeo has enjoyed the best times of his career at San Miguel after arriving in a trade with TnT, winning his first Finals MVP award when the Beermen beat the Tropang GIGA in the 2019 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals.
Ang said Romeo's performance on the court and behavior off it was the exact opposite of what most fans expected, especially with the stories about the former Far Eastern University star he was hearing prior to his move to the Beermen.
“Sabi nila, very, very hard to handle,” Ang told Summit Media editors and reporters during a Sandwich Session on Friday. “Baliktad. Ang bait naman nun. Sobrang bait nun. Tsaka naiintindihan ko ‘yung kanyang hilig.”
Before joining San Miguel, the flamboyant Romeo got embroiled in his shares of controversies, most notable perhaps was his verbal tusslewith NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio in 2018 when he was still with the Batang Pier.
Romeo’s stint with TNT was far from peaceful as well with rumors swirling that some of his teammates wanted the fifth overall pick of the 2013 draft out of the ballclub.
Ang said the situation at TNT got so out of hand that the Beermen got the high-scoring guard in exchange 'for a SIM card.'
[See SMB acquires Terrence Romeo from TNT]
“Naalala mo nung tinrade ‘yan for a SIM card, ibig sabihin, [ang message from TNT is] we don’t like you. Impossible to handle this guy. Pero sa atin, napansin mo ba, ang bait niya. Meron ka bang narinig na storya?" Ang said.
"Wala na, magmula nung nag-join siya rito.”
Romeo captured his two career PBA championships with SMB and fit in nicely with the Beermen core of June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross who have been together for many years.

Ang attributes the transformation to the company's treatment of the players, saying he himself keeps the communication lines open with the Beermen, including Romeo.
“Kasi may access siya sa akin," the SMC president said. "Kapag nagka problema, magte-text siya sa akin. ‘Boss [sasabihin niya].’ ‘Ano problema? Eto gawin mo, tulungan kita.’ Solve. Ano pa problema? Wala nang poproblemahin."
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