Lightning almost struck twice for TNT, according to PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa
Before PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa announced the approval of the Kia Picanto-San Miguel Beermen trade Friday night, the honorable commissioner narrated the timeline of events that led to the turbulent build-up to this moment. And according to Narvasa, Kia, a franchise that is turning four years old, actively looked for trade partners, shopping the pick they owned for the 2017 PBA Draft.
“Kia has talked to several prospects, other teams, and how they arrived with San Miguel, I guess it’s between them. The proposal just came to me,” disclosed Narvasa.
It came to a surprise to Narvasa that San Miguel ended up as Kia’s favored partner as he thought that it would be the TNT Katropa that they would pair up with.
Narvasa recalled the time when Christan Standhardinger decided to throw his name in the Draft last August.
“Two weeks to three weeks before the deadline, Christian called me and said ‘I am interested in joining the draft, send me the requirements.’ He added, ‘Boss can my agent send in the requirements?’ Sabi ko, ‘okay!’ kaya ine-mail niya sa kin. Pina-print ko, binigay ko, ayan official na yan,” recalled Narvasa.
However, last September 4, Standhardinger had two documents entering the PBA’s office.
“Sabi sa akin ng [liason officer], ‘Boss eto yung mga nagpasa na Fil-Am. May nag-submit din ng application para kay Christian.’ Sabi ko, ‘sino nagsusubmit niyan? Kala ko sa akin didiretso,” furthered Narvasa.
“Sabi sa akin si Magnun Membrere, TNT official (assistant team manager). Sabi ko, ‘bakit siya mag-susubmit?’ Pinabayaan ko na lang.”
With this, Narvasa thought that once again, TNT was able to strike a deal with Kia, just like what happened in 2015 when the Katropa was able to pick up the second overall pick of that Draft.
“Dumating na sa akin yung envelope na may trade na darating, San Miguel and Kia. Nagtaka ako na bakit sa San Miguel mapupunta?”
At the end of the day, a deal was not struck by Kia and TNT as the pick is now owned by San Miguel.
“If Membrere came here, they must have talked with Talk ‘N Text. One of the teams could’ve been Talk ‘N Text. I don’t know who the others are or where. I don’t know with Mr. [Bobby] Rosales (Kia’s team governor) if he’s at a liberty to (say).”
