Nostalgia set in for Terrence Romeo as his Terrafirma debut brought an on-court reunion with a former running mate—and one of his closest pals.
The star guard did not receive the kind of welcome he hoped for but was nonetheless glad not only with his return to action but with the reconnection with Stanley Pringle in another link-up between the former GlobalPort stars.
And surely, some of those inside the Ninoy Aquino Stadium reminisced a bit upon seeing the two share the floor — albeit briefly — especially with the Dyip clad in their green jerseys, just like their Batang Pier days years ago.
“Sobrang saya ng pakiramdam,” he told reporters moments after their 89-84 defeat to Magnolia in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday.
“Kasi dati, GlobalPort days namin, marami kaming memories. marami kaming mga ipinanalong games, maraming kaming mga highlights na ginawa.”
GlobalPort, now carrying the NorthPort banner, did taste success with the star tandem leading the way, highlighted by a semifinal finish in the 2015 Philippine Cup, where they beat Ginebra in the quarters before bowing to Alaska.
Both the flashy guards, though, would eventually find themselves treading separate ways in their respective Hall of Fame-worthy careers.
But as others say, fate has its ways sometimes. About six years after they last played together, Romeo and Pringle would be reunited in Terrafirma when the former got traded by San Miguel Beer alongside Vic Manuel.
Now, they’re playing for a youth-laden Dyip side as distinguished veterans, with a total of seven PBA championships and 14 All-Star nods between them.
“Ngayon, kami na ‘yung veterans sa liga. so nakakatuwa.” said Romeo. “Ready na kami na makatulong sa mga rookies at bata naming teammates.”
Still, it may take a bit more time before the two play like the duo that turned lots of heads not so long ago. Romeo is still trying to get his rhythm back after needing to rest and recover for nearly two months due to a calf injury.
But with three games left in their conference, the former three-time scoring champion hopes that he’d be able to regain his form.
“Marami akong iniisip while naglalaro ako. Pero ‘yung percent ng condition ko, OK na,” he said. “Siguro nasa 80-90 percent na ‘yung conditioning ko.
“Pero ‘yung game, ‘yung limahan wala pa. Malayo pa talaga. Hopefully next game, pataas nang pataas, paganda nang paganda.”
