Though he understands what Rabeh Al-Hussaini is going through, Blackwater Elite head coach Bong Ramos said that things might have been handled better had the 6-foot-7 center communicated more with the team and its staff.
Al-Hussaini has yet to report to the Elite’s practices this year, as he is currently sorting out a domestic problem, as per reports. Ramos also said that the last time he and Al-Hussaini spoke was in December of last year.
“Ang huling usap ko kay Rabeh talaga last December. He came to practice. Meron lang siyang sinabi sa’min ng team manager na… But this is a personal problem ‘no, I cannot say what it is, kung ano yan. I have to respect that.
“Pero ang sa’kin lang, as a player, kailangan ihiwalay natin yung trabaho natin sa problema kahit na gaano ka-personal yan,” said Ramos moments after Blackwater’s practice, Saturday at the Reyes Gym in Mandaluyong.
“Kasi kung ako I will still… Fix ko yung problema ko, and at the same time unahin ko muna yung practice ko tapos punta ako sa kung anong dapat kung ayusin,” added the seasoned bench strategist, himself a former player.
This no-show by Al-Hussaini, who played in nine games with the Elite last conference, is the second instance in his career. The first one was in 2014 when he was still with the Meralco Bolts, where he did not fulfill his promise of returning after 10 days from Kuwait.
Al-Hussaini went over to the Blackwater camp after a trade with the NLEX Road Warriors last season, in exchange for Dave Marcelo. According to reports, the former UAAP MVP with the Ateneo Blue Eagles is now asking for a buyout.
But Ramos has no comment on the matter.
“Sa interview nabasa niyo naman na nagpapa-buyout, ‘di ba?
“Hindi ko na alam yun kasi hindi ko na kontrolado yun eh. That’s between him and managament. Hanggang dun lang ako [sa coaching]. Yun,” said the amiable Ramos.
