Vic Manuel previously went on record and said that San Miguel is among his preferred destinations when he was requesting a trade from Alaska.
Besides being a lifelong fan of the PBA’s most successful ball club, the ‘Muscle Man’ was raring for the opportunity to team up with Arwind Santos.
“Talagang idol ko lang si Arwind noong college pa ‘ko,” the Philippine School of Business Administration product told Tiebreaker Times.
“‘Pag naglalaro sa lugar namin ‘yan doon sa Olongapo, nanonood pa ‘ko nun sa kanya.”
Manuel got his wish. On Monday, the bruising 6-foot-4 forward was traded to the Beermen – a move so surprising since it happened just two days after he was shipped by Phoenix Super LPG to NorthPort in a multi-player deal.
But, there’s a catch. He won’t be playing alongside his idol. Santos was the one who got dealt to the Batang Pier to acquire his services.
The 10-year pro lamented the missed chance to play side-by-side with the 2013 MVP.
Photo by PBA Images
“Nalungkot ako. Kasi si Arwind pa ‘yung naka-trade ko.
“Gusto ko nga siya makasama sa team kasi ‘yung SMB, alam ko, team na ni Arwind ‘yan eh,” he added. “‘Di naman namin in-expect na kami pa ‘yung magkaka-trade, magkaka-switch ng places. Medyo malungkot lang din.”
Manuel didn’t try to hide his excitement at suiting up for his favorite team. Still, he already feels the burden of expectations since he will have to prove his worth as the trade for a pillar of San Miguel.
Santos was undeniably one of the reasons behind the Beermen’s success since he came on board in 2009. He helped them win nine titles, including the Philippine Cup five-peat from 2015-19 which no other PBA team has done.
It was also with SMB where the 40-year-old won his lone MVP award, together with a couple of FInals MVP honors; a pair of Best Player of the Conference plums; and seven of his nine Mythical First Team citations.
“Alam mo naman ‘yung role ni Arwind diyan, mahirap palitan. Alam mo naman ‘yung mga dinala ni Arwind sa team na ‘yan, so mahirap talaga,” he said.
“Mataas expectations sa’yo diyan, lalo na Arwind Santos ‘yung papalitan mo.”
So, staying as healthy as he can is of highest imperative for the former Mr. Quality Minutes in order to be of service for the powerhouse squad.
“Ang ano ko sa kanila, maging healthy lang ‘yung katawan ko talaga. Kasi ‘pag hindi healthy, wala akong maitutulong sa team,” said the 34-year-old, who’s recovering from a groin injury. “‘Yun ang kalaban ko diyan eh, mga injury.”
Nonetheless, Manuel is looking forward to joining his new team. And he is confident he’ll have no issues adjusting, since he has established some familiarity with some of the Beermen.
The native of Licab, Nueva Ecija was part of the PBA-backed Gilas Pilipinas crew that ruled the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. There, he played with June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, and Marcio Lassiter.
Fajardo, the league’s reigning six-time MVP, was actually his roommate during the biennial meet in Manila, which they dominated via five-game sweep.
Aside from those veterans, Manuel has also formed a bond with former three-time scoring champion Terrence Romeo and Bambam Gamalinda.
He was part of the Burger King team that fielded Gamalinda and the core of San Beda in the now-defunct PBL in 2008. He then linked with Romeo in Cebuana Lhullier during the inaugural year of the PBA D-League in 2011.
Photo by PBA Images
“Marami akong naging teammate dun,” shared Manuel, himself a former MVP in both the PBL and in the developmental ranks.
“Hindi naman ako mahihirapan mag-adjust, lalo na sanay na ‘ko na nate-trade. Siyempre, panibagong pakikisama na naman, pero ‘di naman ako mahihirapan sa kanila. Kasi, ‘yun nga, tulad ng sabi ko, nakasama ko na sila.”
