PBA lifts Abueva's suspension
Calvin Abueva's suspension, which lasted for over a year, has been lifted.
The PBA announced on Sunday morning that “The Beast” can now rejoin the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters and play for them starting Monday.
The Fuel Masters are scheduled to play the NLEX Road Warriors on Monday afternoon at the AUF Gym in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Abueva was handed an indefinite suspension in June 2019, after a series of on-court events that included a run-in with then-Blackwater rookie
Ray Parks' girlfriend and a scuffle with former TNT import Terrence Jones in last season's Commissioner's Cup. The former Rookie of the Year has spent most of 2020 fulfilling the requirements for his reinstatement, which included community service, drug tests, and counseling. He also attended a seminar conducted by the Games and Amusements Board on the conduct of a professional athlete, paving the way for the agency to renew his professional license.
In a statement, the PBA said that they discussed with
Abueva, Phoenix Super LPG coach Topex Robinson, and Phoenix Super LPG team manager Paolo Bugia the guidelines on the lifting of Abueva's suspension.
Abueva was allowed to join Phoenix Super LPG in the PBA's bubble in Clark, Pampanga, and has been practicing with the team since his arrival. The Fuel Masters went 3-2 in their first five games of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup without him.
Abueva averaged 14.8 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for Phoenix Super LPG in last season's Philippine Cup, his last full conference with the team. (ABS-CBN News)