IT looks like Calvin Abueva is down to his last strike as far as his PBA career is concerned.
Sources told SPIN.ph that the 38-year-old Angeles City-born bruiser is just one strike away from being hit with another indefinite league suspension.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial summoned Abueva for the second time this conference after figuring in a spat with Magnolia coach LA Tenorio, and hits on Peter Alfaro Paul Lee and Zavier Lucero, all in the same game.
Abueva’s antics did not end with him and Tenorio's spat on the court. The former San Sebastian King Stag later went online with a cryptic “anak nagsumbong sa tatay dahil sa foul tapos tatay nagreact susumbong daw kay lolo ahaha matindi backer' post.
READ Abueva fined P20K, given stern warning for hit on Lucero
That post, and successive tirades that fans believe were aimed at his former team Magnolia and Tenorio, were later taken down. But that didn't stop the PBA from hitting him with a P20,000 fine for the hit on Lucero.
Earlier this conference, he was also slapped with another P20,000 fine for a rant against officiating that SPIN.ph captured on video, calling the refs “paldo” after allegedly favoring Converge’s rival Barangay Ginebra during their March 31 game.
“Paldo, paldo ang referee. Apat sila, paldo,” Abueva was caught shouting on his way to the dugout.
And just a few weeks before the start of the Commissioner’s Cup, Abueva took aim at former team Titan Ultra - which inherited his rights from NorthPort - in a series of rants on Facebook that ended with him demanding a trade.
Titan Ultra later traded Abueva to Converge that paved the way for his reunion with longtime patron Dennis Pineda, even if the 'Beast' was the Giant Risers' best player during their maiden PBA conference.
Iornically, Abueva's numbers dipped dramatically in his Converge debut.
From an average of 23.6 points (the league’s best in the Philippine Cup) and 11.9 rebounds (third overall that time) at 31.2 minutes per game, Abueva only normed 15.3 minutes per game for an average of 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in just 7 games with the FiberXers.
All these in a span of two months.
Marcial, who in June 2019 hit then Phoenix forward Abueva with an indefinite suspension that lasted 16 months, is giving the 'Beast' a longer leash this time. But sources said top league officials are growing increasingly frustrated with Abueva's behavior and want the commissioner to drop the axe the next time.
In short, Abueva is one strike away from here on out.
“Isang pagkakamali na lang n'ya, banned na ulit siya. Mukhang indefinite ulit," said a source. "Worst, baka lifetime na yan.”
UE Red Warriors yet to put together a team for UAAP season
The coming college basketball season does not look good for the University of the East Red Warriors. Well, actually, things haven't been good for the once-formidable squad for the last two decades.
But the signs are there again for what will be another challenging time for the Warriors as the squad appears to be out of the popular pre-season tournament, the upcoming 19th Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup.
The chief reason, according to sources, is that there is no Red Warriors to team to talk about. Well, yes, there is a team, but there are not enough number of players.
SPIN.ph sources said that UE is still in the process of building its team for Chris Gavina's second season at the helm of the once-proud basketball program.
This is because some of its players have departed for other schools such as Precious Momowei to Centro Escolar U and Wello Lingolingo and Nico Mulingtapang to St. Benilde.
Worse, the Red Warriors still have no foreign student-athlete to parade.
Gavina, together with newly hired consultant Allan Caidic and assistant Paulo Hubalde, are still looking around to complete the roster.
The good news, though, is that last year's gems in Tope Lagat, Drew Jimenez, and Nurjadden Datumalim are still on board as they competed in the UAAP 3x3 representing UE together with Thirdy Malaga and Cole Cruz-Dumont. - RL
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