VIC Manuel knows Calvin Abueva too well to expect his former teammate to do everything to get in his head.
He was right.
After Manuel made one free throw, the Alaska star extended his hand to his former Alaska teammate to give him a high five. Abueva declined – and Manuel fully understands that.
“Nangaasar lang siya. A-apir dapat ako sa kanya kaso tinanggihan niya, nanga-asar lang yun. Ganun naman yung ginagawa niya sa ibang players nung nasa amin pa siya, di ba?” said Manuel after Alaska's 108-97 win over Phoenix.
“Di naman niya ako maasar e,” he added, breaking into a hearty laugh. “Kilalang-kilala ko yan. Yung mga ginagawa niya, alam na alam ko na 'yun. Focus lang ako sa laro ko. Hindi naman niya masisira yung laro ko basta basta.”
Manuel even reminded the Aces new import Mike Harris not to mind Abueva's antics. True enough, there were several heated moments between Abueva and Harris which luckily didn’t escalate.
“Sinabihan ko siya. Ready naman siya, hindi naman basta basta mapipikon yan. Beterano na rin yan, marami naring experience sa mga pinaglaruan niya. Yun lang ni-remind namin sa kanya, na si Calvin nga, ganun nga 'yung tactics niya,” said Manuel.
As heated as the encounter was, Manuel said there's nothing that can get between his friendship with Abueva.
The two played together for five years in Alaska, forming the ‘Bruise Brothers’ tandem on the court and a deep rooted friendship outside of it.
“Siyempre, nakakatuwa siya kalaban e. Siyempre sa practice naman, parang yung laro namin kanina, ganun ang ginagawa namin dito. Wala namang bago, laro lang kami pareho,” Manuel explained.
“Walang personalan, laro lang kami palagi. Parang medyo nangiliti lang kanina. Pero yang pagkakaibigan namin sobrang lalim talaga.”
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