Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

Japeth hopes to have Slaughter back: ‘Siyempre, partner ko ‘yun’


Japeth Aguilar expressed excitement at the possibility of Greg Slaughter returning to Barangay Ginebra next season, eager to revive their dreaded frontcourt combination that made life difficult for their foes over the past years. 

“I’m open to that. I’m excited kasi kilala ko si Greg,” the 6-foot-9 forward told Monday night’s edition of 2OT, presented by SMART.

Aguilar and Slaughter have been one of the most formidable frontline duos in the league since pairing up in 2013. And there’s no denying the success they’ve had together, as they’ve won four championships since 2016.

That includes last season’s Governors’ Cup crown. With Aguilar finally coming out of his shell – earning him Finals MVP honors – plus the solid presence of the 7-foot Cebuano, Ginebra was a favorite for the 2020 Philippine Cup.

Unfortunately, the Barangay’s twin towers fell when Slaughter, last February, announced that he was taking a break following the expiration of his contract. He then flew to the United States the following month.

While in the US, the Ateneo de Manila product worked on his game in an effort to hone his skills further. He trained with veteran NBA scout Gary Boyson at the DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Boyson then helped Slaughter sign with BeoBasket, the world’s biggest basketball agency. BeoBasket manages several NBA stars such as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Phoenix Suns’ Dario Saric.

With his brother-in-arms’ experiences in the past several months, Aguilar is looking forward to seeing the growth of Slaughter, who returned to the country last October and just got married last week.

“Right now he’s working hard, so excited ako makita ”yung growth niya as a person and as a player,” the soft-spoken 33-year-old said.

For Aguilar, having Slaughter back would make life much easier for him. Much of the responsibilities they’ve shared before lay fully on the former’s shoulders during the recently-concluded bubble season.

#ReadMore  Anton Guariña looks to leave winning culture in final year in UP

And if ever his former Gilas Pilipinas teammate will come back next season, it will be a huge boost to the Gin Kings’ bid to defend their stature as the new rulers of the league’s most prestigious conference.

“He’s more matured right now. Siyempre partner ko ‘yun. Mas [makaka-focus] ako sa ibang posisyon, sa ibang aspects ng game,” he said.

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.


You May Also Like

Basketball

BACOLOD – Japeth Aguilar has become wary of his team’s chances in the PBA All-Star Game 2024 this weekend following unexpected personnel changes. The...

Basketball

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone left the SMART Araneta Coliseum utterly disappointed — and puzzled — after losing to Meralco on Friday night. It...

Basketball

Meralco turned what was thought to be a dogfight to a lopsided mauling as it whipped Ginebra, 91-73, to arrest its two-game slide in...

News

Choco Mucho head coach and long-time Ginebra fan Dante Alinsunurin cherished the opportunity to meet Justin Brownlee moments after his team’s straight-set win over...

Basketball

Japeth Aguilar has taken a significant step in preparing for life after basketball. On Sunday night, the 37-year-old Ginebra big man launched his newest...

Basketball

Ralph Cu has had a memorable year so far. To kick off the year, Tim Cone, his head coach in Ginebra, made him part...

Basketball

Jamie Malonzo’s redemption tour continued on Sunday. Malonzo once again led Ginebra San Miguel, leading their 102-92 rout of Phoenix to remain unblemished in...

Basketball

All seemed fine for Scottie Thompson during the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers. In the two games played, the do-it-all...

Advertisement