JUST when it looked like everything was fine and dandy in the colorful career of Calvin Abueva, the 'Beast' is the talk of the town again.
On Tuesday, news broke out that Phoenix traded Abueva to Magnolia for guard Chris Banchero. The deal also included a swap of first-round picks in the coming PBA Rookie Draft - the Fuel Masters moving up from No. 10 to 6 - plus the Hotshots' pick in the second round at No. 18 overall.
The trade left fans stunned, not so much because of the enormity of the deal but more because of Phoenix's willingness to let go of 'The Beast' after patiently standing by the controversial player through his 18-month suspension until his succesful comeback in the PBA bubble last season.
[See Fans left stunned by Abueva deal]
Abueva was quick to repay Phoenix's faith, too.
The former NCAA MVP out of San Sebastian played well enough to be among the top contenders for the Best Player of the Conference award - and behaved well enough to, would you believe, be nominated for the Sportsmanship honor.
Abueva averaged 13.67 points, 10.67 rebounds and 6.67 assists - eye-popping numbers especially for a player who was inactive for 18 months. He and Matthew Wright also led the Fuel Masters to within a win of a place in the finals, losing the final two games of their semifinal series to TnT.
At the end of the successful comeback campaign, the 32-year old Pampanga-born forward was signed to a three-year contract that included a maximum salary and, if the bonuses kicked in, could easily surpass P20 million in value, sources said.
So, Abueva hardly fit the profile of a player that is about to be traded.
But as in most everything about the life and career of one of the most controversial figures ever to set foot on a PBA floor, there's always an underlying subplot that tends to ruin a Hollywood ending for Abueva.
This storybook comeback was no different. As he waxed hot with his performance inside the bubble, so did his official Instagram page with tell-tale signs that all's not well, for the nth time, between Abueva and his wife Sam.
His career was reinvigorated, but sources said his personal life was in shambles, which was often the case each time he and his wife had a spat. Over the last few weeks, tales of Abueva standing up coaches and team officials in meetings and team functions started coming out of the Phoenix camp.
There was even one meeting with no less than the Phoenix big bosses which Abueva also missed. No word, no explanation, the sources added.
It got to a point where even Phoenix coach Topex Robinson couldn't connect with the enigmatic player; a surprise considering Robinson has a long relationship with Abueva and is one of the few people he actually trusts and listens to.
Apparently not these days.
As exasperation within the team heightened, Robinson admitted things happened so fast after another recent meeting that the player missed. Before he knew it, the trade with Magnolia was sealed.
By then, Robinson sounded like someone who no longer had control of the situation - and was no longer in a position to save his longtime player.
"Ako personally naka-set na ang mind ko that I will be having Calvin for a long time,” Robinson told SPIN.ph's Gerry Ramos. “But there are things na hindi ko kontrolado on my end."
"But after I realized where management is coming from, I think it's good trade na din. It’s a win-win situation for both of us.”
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