Arizona Reid to play only in PBA
MANILA, Philippines San Miguel Beer import Arizona Reid said yesterday he has reconsidered his decision to retire but will now play only in the PBA, adding that settling down in Manila is a possibility for the future.
Reid, 29, initially said he would retire after the recent PBA Governors Cup. After towing the Beermen to the title, Reid had a change of heart. The sweet taste of victory came in Reid’s fifth conference in the PBA. While he failed to bag the Best Import award, Reid said nothing’s more important than winning the championship. He previously took two Best Import awards with Rain Or Shine but had never played on a title squad until his move to San Miguel.
Reid said from the onset, he knew his NBA dream would be elusive. He finished his college career at High Point University in North Carolina with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and is one of only 109 players to achieve both marks, joining the likes of Tim Duncan, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird. Despite his glowing varsity stats, Reid wasn’t in the pool of 64 players invited to Orlando for the NBA pre-draft camp after his graduation in 2008.
“I’m a 6-3 power forward with no chance to make it in the NBA because of my size,” he said. “So I decided to play overseas and provide for my family. I didn’t think struggling financially while playing in the NBA D-League was a viable option because I could never play in the NBA anyway.” It turned out to be a smart decision. Reid saw action in Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Australia, Lebanon, Germany, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and the Philippines in a globetrotting career that built a secure future for his family.
“I’ve played all over the world and the best place is the Philippines by far,” he said. “I love the fans, the Filipino people. I wouldn’t mind living in Manila permanently. I love the PBA, it’s a man’s league. I can’t really complain about the officiating. It has its ups and downs. I know I work the referees a little bit and I’ve gotten my share of technicals. That’s because I’m an emotional player. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the officiating a 6 with 4 a passing mark so that’s not bad. If I were the PBA commissioner for a day, I wouldn’t change a thing because nothing’s broken. Maybe, I’ll consider adding a few more teams.”