For Abu Tratter, he’s simply blessed for the opportunity to work with some of the best big men to play in the PBA.
The 6-foot-5 forward was under the tutelage of Jun Limpot during his stay with the DLSU Green Archers program. He was then mentored by Rommel Adducul during his brief stint with the Blackwater Elite.
And now that he had been traded to the Alaska Aces, Tratter now works with two-time Most Valuable Player Danny Ildefonso — the same man who helped shaped reigning five-time MVP June Mar Fajardo into who he is today.
“That’s something that I really cherish throughout my career,” Tratter said.
“When I started off here I was working with coach Jun Limpot, then it was coach Rommel with Blackwater when he was there, and now with coach Danny.
“It’s been a blessing. It’s a great honor to be coached under these guys. They were legends at what they did in the past. They were MVPs, they won championships,” continued the seventh overall pick by NLEX Road Warriors in 2018.
Tratter can consider himself lucky for those coaches he has worked with and will work with. But besides currently being under Ildefonso’s wing, he also took the chance to pick the brains of Vic Manuel and Sonny Thoss.
“I’m taking it all in like a sponge,” said the 26-year-old.
“And making sure that I keep an open mind to learn.”
Tratter has only been with the Aces a few days. Still, he says he’s already feeling at home with his new team, especially with the presence of fellow Green Archers sophomore forward Jeron Teng and Yutien Andrada.
“I feel like I’m more at home here,” he said. “It feels good because not only we have chemistry in the past, coming into this team Yutien Andrada took it upon himself to be a leader and teach me some of the things Alaska is good at.
“He guides me along the way because it’s only been days. He helps me with a lot of things.”
Tratter’s arrival at the Aces’ camp has injected much-needed youth to the team especially in the frontline. And for the cager from Laguna, he vows to bring in energy — particularly on the defensive end of the floor — in every given time.
“Just a lot of energy defensively in the game. We have a lot of old veterans here, so I’m willing and able to do and carry out some things that Alaska was lacking in the past. Looking forward… I’m looking to play defense, lock down imports,” he said.
“But not only lock down imports, but bringing energy off the bench or as a starter.”
