Rafi Reavis will soon rejoin Magnolia for the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup as the veteran slotman is scheduled to get inoculated on Friday.
Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero said as much Wednesday, adding that the 44-year-old is set to receive the single-shot Johnson & Johnson.
“I talked to Rafi, I think, last weekend and his scheduled vaccine are on Friday — on the 17th,” he said moments after their 114-87 win over Terrafirma at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“He’s willing to come back and play with us again.”
Reavis was ruled ineligible to see action in the season-ending conference as the league-mandated that all teams should be fully vaccinated in order to partake.
He was one of those asterisked as unvaccinated when the official lineups were released prior to the Governors’ Cup opener, the other one being his former teammate and current Terrafirma guard Justin Melton.
The 5-foot-9 guard, however, was able to play for the Dyip in their first game of the tourney after receiving his first of two Sinovac doses.
Soon, it would be Reavis getting back on the court again with Magnolia, although that may take a short while as he’s still at home in the States.
Nonetheless, Victolero is glad that his former teammate in San Juan in the Metropolitan Basketball Association has finally decided to take the shot.
“I’m very happy he decided to be vaccinated. So ‘yun ‘yung magandang balita para sa’min,” said the 2018 Coach of the Year.
And Reavis returning, he added, will be big for the Hotshots, most especially because of the leadership he provides.
“We need Rafi also because of his leadership. Kaya pa naman niya maglaro because sa bubble, maganda rin ‘yung showing niya. So ‘yun lang, he needs to be here siguro para makuha ‘yung timing and ‘yung kundisyon niya sa laro.”
