Ginebra is giving LA Tenorio all the time he needs to prepare Gilas Pilipinas Boys for the FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers later this month.
Thus, the Kings’ decision to relegate the 40-year-old guard to the unrestricted free agent list with rights to salary (UFAWR2S) while reactivating Jayson David.
“Yes, he’s going to be busy over the next month due to SEABA,” head coach Tim Cone wrote in a text message to Tiebreaker Times Tuesday.
“Plus, we’ve been trying to find an opportunity to activate Jason David, so it works out for both players,” the champion bench tactician furthered.
The move was done a day before the Barangay’s PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup meeting with Northport on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Ginebra is looking to get back on track after absorbing a 104-93 defeat at the hands of San Miguel the last time out, which evened its record to 1-1.
(C) PVL Images
While the decision could appear unthinkable, it’s actually nothing new to the crowd darlings, having done the same with Joe Devance back in 2018.
The 6-foot-7 forward, at that time, was undergoing rehab as part of his recovery from a foot surgery, thus the team’s decision to move pieces in its roster then.
Tenorio, on the other hand, has seen limited action for the perennial contenders this season following the acquisition of RJ Abarrientos through the draft.
“We expect to reactivate LA after the SEABA,” he said.
The SEABA U16 tournament serves as a qualifier for the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2025, with the top two teams from the subzone earning tickets to the continental showpiece set to be played in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia later this year.
The Philippines is entering the contest as the heavy favorite, having ruled the SEABA U16 competitions for the past five editions.
