Life goes on for LA Tenorio and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel even without Greg Slaughter.
Last week, the 7-foot center surprisingly announced that he will take a break from basketball “to be able to work on himself on all aspects” after his contract with the Gin Kings expired after last season.
The Barangay have suffered a tough blow with Slaughter’s decision, but Tenorio said that they will simply live with it and find ways to succeed without the former BPC awardee.
“Hindi namin pwedeng problemahin ‘yun the whole conference. Wala siya. We just have to move on,” he said Wednesday, as Ginebra has begun its preparations for the new PBA season set to open March 8.
“It’s just like noong nawala siya, noong na-ACL siya. Ganoon rin ‘yun eh. We have to move on,” Tenorio added, recalling the time the Cebuano giant tore the ACL in his right knee back in 2016.
“Kung ano man ang meron kami rito, ‘yun ang gagawin namin sa All-Filipino. We just have to find ways.’
Tenorio also sees Slaughter’s absence as an opportunity for their other big men to step up to the plate.
“I think it’s better for the other players to step up. It’s time for them to step up and magpakilala dito sa team. Katulad nina Prince, Raymond Aguilar, meron na silang opportunity,” he said.
But of all their frontcourt players, Tenorio expects the most from Japeth Aguilar, who was named last season’s Governors’ Cup Finals MVP as he led Ginebra to the title at the expense of rivals Meralco.
Tenorio even went as far as saying that he sees this season as an “MVP season” from the 6-foot-9 forward.
Photo by PBA Images
“Siguro set up rin to for Japeth to really soar high this season. So I think this is the MVP season from Japeth,” he said. “I am expecting that from Japeth, based from the last conference he showed.
“It’s time for Japeth to really be the leader and the main man na matagal na naming hinahanap.”
