A video surfaced on Fox Sports showing that it was Calvin Abueva who sparked the warm-up scuffle between Daniel Kickert and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas.
The video shows Boomers players going through layup line drills with Gilas players edging over the halfcourt line. As Kickert came jogging back to the end of the line, Abueva’s leg could be seen being stuck out in an attempt to trip Kickert. Kickert retaliated by shoving Matthew Wright.
However, Abueva claims that the video was not the beginning of what happened.
“Nakita ba nila yung nangyari bago nun? Hindi ko naman gagawin yun kung hindi sila yung nauna. Sila talaga yung nagsimula,” disclosed Abueva during the Chooks-to-Go-hosted dinner for the team.
Abueva alleged that Kickert had shoved Carl Cruz and Roger Pogoy prior. Come the third time, Abueva made sure that it would not happen again.
“Yung time na nagwa-warm up kami, then bigla nila kami ibu-bully? Hindi fair sa amin yun. Nung nagkataon na yun, sabi ko huwag na natin palampasin yun,” added Abueva, who is a native of Angeles, Pampanga.
What came next was a brief confrontation between the two sides.
