LA, Terrence, Ping to be feted
Cone, Jalalon and Pogoy are also up for recognition
La Tenorio, Terrence Romeo, and Rookie of the Year Roger Pogoy lead the initial list of awardees to be honored during the 24th PBAPC Awards Night next week at the Gloria Maris Restaurant inside the Gateway Mall in Cubao.
Tenorio will be the recipient of the Order of Merit honor, Romeo is the Mighty Sports Scoring Champion anew, while Pogoy banners the All Rookie team to be feted by the group of sportswriters who regularly covers the PBA beat.
The Order of Merit is given out to the individual who had the most number of Player of the Week honor handed out by the PBAPC. The Barangay Ginebra veteran point guard was named four times during the course of the league’s 42nd season.
Romeo meanwhile, submitted a PBA-best 23.3 points average per game to emerge anew as the top local scorer last year. The Globalport gunner becomes the scoring champion for the third straight season, and the first player to do so after Gary David did it four straight times (2010-13).
Pogoy, last season’s best rookie playing for TnT Katropa, leads the year’s All-Rookie team to be recognized during the affair presented by Cignal. The Gilas stalwart shares the honor with Matthew Wright (Phoenix), Jio Jalalon (Star), Kevin Ferrer (Barangay Ginebra), and Reden Celda (KIA).
Meanwhile, Jalalon, Star teammate Marc Pingris, and champion coach Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel also share the limelight that evening.
Jalalon is the consensus choice as Mr. Quality Minutes, while Pingris and Cone are at the forefront of the All-Interview team.
The highpoint of the awards night is the presentation of the Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan Coach of the Year award held in honor of the prodigious late mentor, who scored the league’s first ever grand slam with Crispa in 1976.
Also on tap are the Danny Floro Executive of the Year award named in behalf of the former Crispa team owner and the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year being held in honor of the league’s former three-time MVP and part of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players.
Other awards to be given are the Mighty Sports Defensive Player of the Year, Mr. Quality Minutes, All-Interview team, and the PBAPC’s first ever Game of the Season award.