TNT governor Ricky Vargas said he has accepted the apology of the KaTropa's former consultant and assistant coach Tab Baldwin for his controversial comments on the PBA, its coaches and officials.
“Nag-apologize si Tab. He apologized and I’ve accepted the apology,” Vargas said during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.
Baldwin came under fire from league officials and coaches for his comments in a Coaches Unfiltered podcast where he criticized the PBA's format, alleged that imports are given 'rules latitude' by referees and said local coaches are 'tactically immature.'
The concurrent Ateneo coach later apologized to the PBA but insisted his comments were 'taken out of context.'
He was later fined P75,000 by the PBA Commissioner's Office and suspended for three games before he was fired by the KaTropa.
Vargas, who is also the PBA chairman, admitted he was also slighted by the comments of Baldwin.
While he accepted Baldwin’s apology to TNT management, Vargas admitted he felt his apology towards the league was “a little bit insincere.”
“Ang impact sa akin ng comment niya na taken out of context after the apology he made was a little bit insincere because it was sort of, 'I apologize but I was taken out of context,' so it tilted to push it to blaming others," he said.
"The consequence of that statement that take him out of context became more divisive. Pinabayaan ko na,” Vargas said.
Vargas refused to comment on the controversy's impact on Baldwin’s role as program director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, saying SBP president Al Panlilio is in the best position to comment on the matter.
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