Some PBA fans have cried foul over the current setup of selection for the 2023 PBA All-Star Game in Iloilo.
Instead of having stats leaders and team standouts represented in the returning annual festivity, it has turned into a popularity contest that resulted in eight players from crowd darling Ginebra getting selected into the top 24.
Snubs included the likes of Juami Tiongson of Terrafirma, Baser Amer of Blackwater, and Don Trollano of NLEX.
Then there’s Maverick Ahanmisi of Converge.
The third overall pick in the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft, who is also eligible to play for Gilas Pilipinas, is one of the top scoring locals in the league with a per-game average of 18.9 points in the ongoing Governors’ Cup.
“I mean this is probably the best that I’ve played in my career. That’s just — it is what it is. I don’t know if I’m an All-Star per se, but as I’ve said, it’s what the fans want, so,” said Ahanmisi, who is also putting up norms of 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest.
But the product of University of Minnesota is not minding that he is not part of the All-Star Game.
In fact, he does not want to take part in the event set on March 12.
“I don’t want to be a part of it, personally. That’s just me.
“No knock to the people that do want to be a part of it, but I’ve seen too many players deserving of it but they’re never in it, so I just don’t want to be a part of that,” said Ahanmisi.
What hurt Ahanmisi was something that transpired in 2018.
Ahanmisi was coming off back-to-back Obstacle Challenge titles. In 2018 however, the league changed the criteria of entries for the said event, letting big men do the competition. Ditto for 2019.
Standing at “just” 6-foot-2, Ahanmisi never got a chance to score a “three-peat”.
“I mean, the All-Star Game is not for me. That’s just — quite bluntly, it’s not for me. I’ve been a part of that weekend before,” he continued.
“I’ve won the Obstacle Challenge two years in a row and then they didn’t allow me to come back. After that, it’s been… I just don’t want to be a part of that.”
Still, Ahanmisi appreciates the fans who have passionately gone to social media and say that he deserves to be part of the elite list.
“I do appreciate the people saying that I need to be in there. And I’ve been vocal on Twitter, social media, whatever, that I do appreciate them trying to have me in there. But I don’t. I just don’t want to be a part of it,” he expressed.
“Leave it to the June Mars and the Scotties and all of them, but I’m cool.”
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
