Monday, September 22, 2008 Ginebra gives up on Hatfield’s return
MANILA - Jong Uichico, not a man to give up easily, is ready to throw the towel at the possibility of Rudy Hatfield coming back.
That is if the Barangay Ginebra coach hasn’t already.
“It seems Rudy isn’t coming back. He is happy in the States with his family and his work,” Uichico said.
Hatfield, known for his relentless hustle and defensive prowess, was an integral part of the Ginebra team that won the Philippine Cup two years ago and Uichico would move heaven and earth to have him back.
“It’s not a matter of offering him big money,” Uichico said. “We’re prepared to bring something to the table, but Rudy simply isn’t interested anymore in playing basketball.”
The situation gives Uichico something to ponder on deeply.
“We need a big man to play center or a tough player like Rudy to play the No. 3 or No. 4 spot,” he said.
The arrival of 7-foot Chris Alexander five games into the Fiesta Conference a few months ago filled up the big void in the middle of the Kings’ rotation, an addition that resulted in a breathtaking winning streak and Ginebra winning its eighth Philippine Basketball Association championship—a seven-game epic against the Air21 Express.
Two weeks before the opening of the 34th season and the staging of the 2008 Philippine Cup—a non-import tournament—Uichico is unearthing stones every in search of an acceptable trade to boost their sagging frontline.
“We need somebody like Chris or Rudy to do the job at the post,” said Uichico, who also won his eighth title and his second with the Kings.
Efforts to land Mick Pennisi, the 6-foot-9 center Red Bull traded to San Miguel Beer, and 6-foot-7 Jay Washington, who Talk ‘N Text exchanged for the Beermen’s No. 3 pick in the rookie draft, failed to get past the initials talks.
“They just didn’t materialize,” Uichico said of the deals. “But we’re still hoping to land a big man.”
Another thing bugging Uichico just before he left for Bohol yesterday with his family is the spate of injuries plaguing the Kings: Mark Caguioa (kneecap), Jayjay Helterbrand (hamstring), Rafi Reavis (shoulder), and Eric Menk (knee rehabilitation). (PBA Media Bureau)
