JUSTIN Melton is made aware how valuable he is for Blackwater.
Reunited with coach Ariel Vanguardia, the Fil-Am guard was told of the important role he will play coming in as one of the most experienced player in the current young lineup of the Bossing.
“We had a good talk before he signed,” said Vanguardia of the 34-year-old Melton, a four-time PBA champion with the Purefoods franchise previously.
“I told him na I need help with the team to establish a winning culture.”
One-year contract extension
Melton was signed to a one-year contract extension as confirmed by team manager Johnson Martinez despite him not yet seeing action with Blackwater since being acquired by the team in a Christmas Eve trade with Terrafirma for fellow guard Ed Daquioag.
“He told me he’s up for the challenge,” said Vanguardia of Melton, who also happens to be a good friend of the Blackwater coach.
The two goes a long way, dating back to their days when Vanguardia handled the 5-foot-9 guard with the Malaysia Dragons in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).
The Blackwater coach needed help from a winner like Melton nowadays, with Blackwater currently mired in a 0-5 record in the Governors’ and the longest losing mark in league history that currently stands at 24 straight games dating back from the 2020 Philippine Cup bubble in Clark, Pampanga.
As it is, Melton is just one of four players in the Bossing roster who previously played under champion franchises with winning culture that also included JVee Casio, Kelly Nabong, and late addition Jay Washington.
Other than being a winner, Vanguardia knows Melton can also bring a lot of positivity to the team.
“Justin is a great guy. Mabait yan,” he said of the veteran guard picked in the second round of the 2013 draft.
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