Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero doesn’t think that Calvin Abueva will have a hard time adjusting to the Hotshots’ scheme of things, as he will find himself surrounded by people he’s very much familiar with.
On top of the list is, of course, Ian Sangalang.
For starters, the two, along with former Gilas Pilipinas cadet Ronald Pascual, formed the deadly Pinatubo trio in San Sebastian and powered the Stags to the 2009 NCAA championship at the expense of San Beda.
They went on to win three of NLEX’s record six championships in the PBA D-League–where Sangalang was crowned the 2013 Aspirant’s Cup BPC–plus a title in the now-defunct PBL representing Excel Roof in 2010.
“Yung adjustment naman ni Calvin medyo madali na because Ian is here. Matutulungan siya, kilalang-kilala niya. College pa lang, magkasama na sila,” Victolero told Tiebreaker Times moments after the deal was announced.
But aside from his Kapampangan brother, also helping the 33-year-old star forward acclimatize in his new environment will be his former teammates — both in the national team and in the pro ranks.
There are guards Jio Jalalon and Paul Lee, whom he worked with in Gilas before. He played with the former in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup and in the 2019 World Cup Asian Qualifiers until July 2018.
And then there’s forward Rome Dela Rosa, whom he had played against in the NCAA and in the D-League before becoming teammates in Alaska in 2014 — a couple of years after Abueva was picked second overall by the Aces.
“And then si Jio kasama niya sa Gilas pati si Paul. And then si Rome nakasama niya sa Alaska. So I think yung adjustment is konti lang,” said Victolero, who also witnessed Abueva in the college ranks while coaching Mapua.
More than the familiarity with his new teammates, Victolero believes that the former BPC awardee will fit in just right as his style of play is suited with the defensive-oriented Hotshots’ philosophies.
“‘Yung tinatakbo naman namin yun din naman laro ni Calvin,” he said.
“Importante lang sa’kin is ‘yung chemistry; how Calvin will play; how his talent kumbaga eh makakatulong dun sa tinatakbo namin. And how the other players will react on his talent also.”
