ABUEVA CLAIMS PHOENIX QUIT ON HIM
The controversial trade that sent him out of Phoenix Super LPG didn’t sit well with Calvin Abueva.
In a podcast interview, Abueva admitted that he was helpless, saying that the Fuel Masters quit on him by shipping him to Magnolia heading into the 46th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Abueva and the Fuel Masters had a rosy relationship. In fact, during his 16-month suspension, the Phoenix management stood by him and lobbied hard for his reinstatement until PBA commissioner Willie Marcial finally gave him the go-signal to see action starting the Philippine Cup.
He had a strong performance inside the PBA bubble in Clark and behaved well, prompting the league to nominate him for the Sportsmanship Award.
With that, he was rewarded with a maximum contract worth P15 million for three years, making him one of the highest paid players in the Phoenix roster.
But the forward branded as “The Beast” again reared his ugly head.
In a Daily Tribune report, his agent, Danny Espiritu, revealed that the patience of the Fuel Masters on Abueva ran out after he failed to show up in a crucial meeting. Worse, the Phoenix bosses were made to wait for more than two hours only for Abueva to beg off at the last minute.
Espiritu said the Fuel Masters had seen enough.
It seems that they gave up on me.
“They felt that they were being taken for granted,” said Espiritu, adding that he had no hand in the trade that sent Abueva to Magnolia in exchange for Chris Banchero and a pair of picks in the PBA Annual Rookie Draft on 14 March.
“I understand the management because I also have no idea what’s going on with Calvin lately. He is the only one who can answer these questions.”
But Abueva asserted that his trade was so shocking that he only learned it through a friend.
“It was shocking. I only learned about it through a friend. I was so surprised that I was traded,” Abueva said during the 2OT podcast late Wednesday.
“It seems that they gave up on me. But there’s really nothing I can do about it even if I did not want to leave in the first place.”
At Magnolia, Abueva gets to have a fresh start. He will be reunited with former San Sebastian College teammate Ian Sangalang and will join the big man rotation of Jackson Corpuz, Kyle Pascual, Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis.
His coach will be Chito Victolero, who was calling the shots for Mapua University during his stint in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Even with a bleeding heart, Abueva vowed to do everything to win a title, something that he failed to achieve while playing for the Fuel Masters.
“This is no longer a small company. I’m now playing for one of the biggest conglomerates in the country,” the 33-year-old bruiser said.
“I will give my best to win a championship. I will double the effort I gave to my previous team.”
Abueva said he has to prove himself all over again and would come into the Hotshots with the hunger and mentality of a rookie.
“I will start like a rookie again because I will be playing with players who have more experience, not only with the way they play, but with the tradition they have as a team. I have to do my best to establish chemistry with my new teammates.”