With Meralco needing help in the final few minutes of the team’s match against Alaska Friday night, the Bolts turned to a hero who had been capable his entire career of taking charge in the clutch and creating winning highlights: Jimmy Alapag.
Alapag took over for the Bolts, breaking a 98-all deadlock after hitting four straight free throws to give Meralco a 102-98 lead late in the match. Alapag then iced the game by driving to the basket and finishing high off the glass against the Aces’ defense with just 33.6 seconds to go.
Alapag finished with 16 points in close to 21 minutes of play, shooting 8-for-10 from the free throw line. It was the first win of the Bolts against the Aces under the helm of Norman Black. The victory also secured the Bolts a twice-to-beat incentive entering the next round.
For Alapag, such win is an indicator the Bolts are maturing as a team.
“I felt tonight, our team grew a little bit more. We are still in the process of developing the team to get used to winning. And that takes time. Unfortunately, you have to go through things like last conference, and you learn. You get another opportunity,” he said Friday night.
“I am really happy for the team. It was a very maturing win tonight and hopefully we build on that as we head to the playoffs.”
When the Philippine basketball icon retired from the PBA, it wasn’t like he was already banged up or he couldn’t keep up with the younger batch of greats in the league. Alapag was still playing at a high level, and his game could still give opponents fits. But he retired, as he did not want to arrive to a point where the game or his age would force him to.
Photo courtesy of PBA Images
It turned out, however, that Alapag still had more inside his grizzled tank. While he wouldn’t put up big numbers on the scoreboard anymore, he could still lead a team and make impact. So he “unretired.” He first had a brief stint for Gilas Pilipinas 3.0 and then started on a new journey for the Meralco Bolts.
Alapag liked the new opportunity presented to him, and he chased the dream. He knew his body could still do it. He believed in himself.
The 38-year-old playmaker shared the 1-10 Philippine Cup campaign the Bolts have had last conference was an experience that humbled the team, but also toughened them moving forward.
“It felt good to come to the team. I keep thinking about the last conference, you struggle like that and you’re humbled like that, there’s nothing you can do but re-focus and get back to work. That is really credit for the coaching staff and the guys for coming to this conference with better focus and pushing each other,” Alapag said.
Even up to the present, Alapag added, the experience from last conference is something that is constantly with them, just to remind them they have to achieve something better.
“It’s there. I think it is a good thing. Keeping that close to heart and remembering where we came from. But here we are now, in a position to get to the semis and the finals. It’s a process. We’re great to be in this position but there is still more work to be done,” Alapag shared.
Alapag also said he is becoming more comfortable with what he has to do for the team game after game. He understands he is not getting any younger anymore, but the opportunity presented is just hard for him to resist. It fuels him. It drives him to be just as competitive as anyone else in the league.
“It’s a lot tougher than we used to be. But it is a new opportunity for me. Especially seeing (my) kids being part of this, I just can’t (let go) of this opportunity,” Alapag said.
Once a retired player, Alapag has injected himself back to relevance in the league, and is helping in the process of transforming the Bolts from a mediocre team to a serious and legitimate championship threat.
It is a long and tedious process but Alapag believes there are more roads to conquer and more accolades add to his already illustrious PBA resume.
And for as long as Alapag is still playing, all of those are possible for him to achieve. The Meralco page of his novel-esque career has only proven that his legend lives on.
