Terrafirma is looking to bring in Antonio Hester after disaster struck the team mere days before the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup tips off.
The Dyip find themselves scrambling for a replacement import after Brandon Edwards tore his ACL during their tuneup against Meralco on Tuesday.
Team governor Bobby Rosales revealed as much during the league’s pre-season presser at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila on Wednesday.
Head coach Johnedel Cardel could only lament what happened as it is a big blow to a squad looking to sustain momentum from its quarterfinal run in the last Philippine Cup, where it sent San Miguel to a sudden death.
It also dampens the fresh start that the franchise is looking for with former BPC winners Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle in tow.
The solution to the import woe that the management is looking at, for now, is to bring in Hester, who played for Terrafirma in the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup.
(C) PBA Images
“We’re really hoping he’s available,” Cardel told Tiebreaker Times. “Sayang lang talaga si Brandon, ang galing pa naman.”
Jordan Williams, their guy during the 2023 Governors’ Cup, is being considered as well, but he’s currently with Flamengo in the Brazilian National League.
“Medyo negative na ata si Jordan,” said Cardel of Williams, who scored 57 points in their 119-106 win over Blackwater back on February 9, 2023.
It was also in that same conference where Hester last played in the PBA, where he was signed by Magnolia in February to replace Erik McCree.
In the nine games he played, the Miami-native averaged 27.1 points on 62.2-percent shooting, 16.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals.
Cardel and Co. are hoping that Hester will be available for the upcoming wars, where Terrafirma is situated in Group A with defending champions TNT, Converge, NorthPort, Magnolia, and new Philippine Cup titlists Meralco.
The bruising forward is coming off a stint with Prawira Harum Bandung in Indonesia, He suited up for the club in both the 2024 Indonesia Basketball League and the inaugural Basketball Champions League Asia.
