RJ Abarrientos couldn’t hide his glee now that he has finally joined Far Eastern University’s seniors’ squad.
The nephew of PBA legend and Morayta great Johnny Abarrientos did not immediately move up to the men’s team after his stint with the Baby Tamaraws in 2019, since he had to finish high school first.
Abarrientos made his debut on Thursday in the 2020 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup. And it was a successful one, with the SeaOil-backed FEU beating the FamilyMart-Enderun Titans, 99-82.
“Sobrang blessed ako kasi matagal ko na ring hinihintay ‘yung pagkakataong ito,” said the 5-foot-11 guard, who had 14 points on four triples alongside five rebounds and three assists in the win.
“Nangangarap ako na sana, one day, makapunta ako rito sa seniors team,” he added.
“Bibigay ko lang ‘yung best ko.”
And the icing on the cake was his reunion with some of his fellow Baby Tams.
Abarrientos once again reconnected with L-Jay Gonzales, Xyrus Torres, and Royce Alforque. The four were part of the FEU-Diliman crew that won the UAAP Juniors gold medal in 2017.
“Sobrang saya ko kasi kasama ko sila simula pa nung Juniors. Nagsama-sama na naman kami.”
For the 20-year-old Abarrientos, being with such familiar faces makes the transition much easier.
“‘Yung bonding namin na as a family, nadadala namin sa game, kahit saan on and off the court. So mas madali sa ‘min na ‘yung samahan namin. Mas madali na ‘yung communication namin,” he said.
“Mas madali na para sa bawa’t isa. ‘Yung coaches sobrang tiwala sa ‘min kasi simula pa lang nung high school kami, nakikita na kami. Kaya pag-step up namin sa college, talagang buo na kami.”
