I MISSED citing the heroics of Stanley Pringle in Barangay Ginebra’s title-clinching Game 5 victory over Meralco on Friday. That was on Saturday, in my last column here.
Deadline rush triggered the blunder anew.
Still, I feel guilty.
Almost unforgivable.
How could I fail to highlight Pringle’s spectacular performance, again, punctuated by his usual acrobatic shots that would, almost improbably, find the hole—always, as if by design?
The 17 points that Pringle had fired—third best behind Japeth Aguilar’s 25 and Justin Brownlee’s 24—were virtual game-winners all, the shots mostly coming in crucial times, even consistently hitting targets when they shouldn’t be.
Was Pringle looking at the rim at all when he parted traffic and then stuffed in not one but two shots?
The crowd roared each time, unbelieving of Pringle’s periodic pyrotechnics.
When interviewed after Ginebra’s redoubtable 105-93 triumph for the 4-1 playoffs victory at the jam-packed MOA Arena in Pasay City, Pringle thanked his teammates profusely ‘’for their all-out support.”
It is very seldom in the storied loop that a team newbie is given a rousing welcome by his teammates, with Ginebra peopled by grizzled personnel at that. And aren’t oldtimers normally prone to distrust?
Pringle, easily the country’s version of James Harden, the bearded NBA scoring marvel from Houston, was an acquisition from Northport, a fixture in the fringes of the league cellar.
Call it luck for Pringle that coach Tim Cone had always the eye on him.
So, realizing not to allow a pure talent to go to waste, Cone offered Pringle to join Ginebra.
Of course, Pringle didn’t think twice before saying yes. Opportunity knocks but only once. And only a fool would reject the lure of joining the league darling for the longest time.
Once aboard, Pringle, easily one of the most coachable players available, found his Ginebra chair in no time.
How many players can become champion on their first try?
With a talent like Pringle, peanuts.