EVEN if he has long retired from the PBA and is now busy honing his coaching skills in the NBA G-League, Jimmy Alapag still has free advice to anybody who asks for it.
Concrete proof of that is Phoenix Super LPG coach Topex Robinson, who treated Alapag’s affirmation as main factor in ultimately deciding to tap Paul Harris as the Fuel Masters’ import for the coming PBA second conference set to start Nov. 28.
“Jimmy Alapag vouched for him,” Robinson told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday
“You’ll never go wrong when you ask Jimmy about players because he was in the league for a long time. He could give us insights na hindi namin nakikita. He’s also well respected, so you listen to him.”
Alapag and Harris were former teammates with TNT, where Alapag spent majority of his 13-year PBA career. They even won a title together in the 2011 Commissioners Cup, one of the three stints the New York-born Harris had with Manny V. Pangilinan’s flagship franchise.
The two remained in constant touch and more so when Alapag migrated with his family to the US where he now works as an assistant coach with the Stockton Kings.
One of Robinson’s deputies, Jamike Jarin, also had a hand in the decision since he too spent some time with TNT.
“When we were looking for (an import) and coach Jamike Jarin was talking to Jimmy since he is in the G-League so baka may alam siya. So we asked him,” related Robinson.
“Biglang na-brought up si Paul. He fit the qualifications we’ve set. Good character guy, good teammate. And it’s not only Jimmy who vouched for him but I guess lahat ng tinanungan namin tungkol kay Paul Harris wala kang marinig na negative.
“Big factor kaya siya talaga kinuha namin is because of his work ethics and attitude. Kasi kailangan dito makuha mong import, obviously magaling. Pero ‘yung ugali. Kapag kasi sumablay ka sa import mo ngayon mahirap magpalit. Dahi nga sa proseso na gagawin mo medyo mahirap, matagal. Baka by the time ma-clear ‘yung import mo tapos na conference.
“That was a really big factor for us. Attitude and character. Paul has a proven time and again that he’s a good teammate to have and Jimmy vouched for that.”
Harris, who suited up for Ginebra in the 2016 Governors Cup but dislocated his thumb right in the Kings’ first game, himself made the talks smoother.
“I guess one thing na malaking bagay, Paul really wanted to go back here. Kasi he has another option sa ibang bansa pero when he heard about us being interested in him, he assured us that he will prioritize us,” Robinson said.
Harris took it upon himself to personally work on his papers that would get him a working visa to play in the PBA anew.
Robinson expects Harris to be able to plane in by next week at the latest, undergo the required quarantine protocols and be ready to join Phoenix in the team’s daily practices at the Upper Deck gym in Pasig well before the tournament kickoff.
