Just when the Tanduay Rhum Masters were looking for the right players to rely on for a serious 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup title run, new acquisition Jerwin Gaco delivered instantly.
The 36-year-old, who has been with the Rhum Masters for a week but was signed just this past Sunday, made his presence felt in Tanduay’s 86-66 drubbing of Team Batangas, Monday afternoon at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao.
Gaco finished with a double-double of 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 11 boards in 25 minutes of action, a rousing debut indeed for the six-year PBA veteran that earned him praises from head coach Lawrence Chongson.
“The whole country knows Jerwin Gaco. Experience [and] tenacity [meron siya],” regarded Chongson of his new signee.
“Hopefully siya ang hulog ng langit sa amin kahit may kalawang pa.”
But for the five-time PBA champion, who was last seen in the pro league last season with the Star Hotshots, his stellar debut came from sheer luck.
“Suwerte lang. Medyo bumabagsak yung bola,” remarked Gaco on his output.
The veteran journeyman, though, aims to be more of the Rhum Masters’ leader, not solely focusing on registering double-digit outputs and other individual stats every outing.
“Unang-una hindi naman para maging scorer ako rito eh, kailangan lang nila ng beterano na magga-guide sa mga bata,” Gaco said.
“Kailangan ko maging leader sa kanila kasi ako yung kuya nila eh, para ganahan naman sila. Nung nakaraan nga naging two losses sila, parang nawalan ng pag-asa. At least ngayon parang nabuhayan sila.”
With the notable contribution he gave Tanduay, Gaco feels upbeat, as he was able to help the Rhum Masters inch closer to their hopes of pinning a slot in the conference quarterfinals.
“Sobrang blessed kami na nanalo kami. Nadagdagan yung kumpiyansa nila kasi may chance pa naman kami.
“4-3 kami ngayon, may last two games pa. Puwede pa kaming pumasok ng playoffs [o kahit sa] semis,” the five-time PBA champion added.
Regarding a comeback in the pros, Gaco, who has now set the D-League record for being the oldest player to play in the league, still remains optimistic despite being close to 40 years of age.
“Nandoon pa naman yung chance,” claimed Gaco.
“Edad lang naman yun. Medyo kaya ko pa naman eh. Yung edad, it’s just a number sabi nga nila. Pero kaya pa naman.”
