If someone had said five years ago that T-Mac was going to suit up
for Ginebra alongside Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa in the
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), nobody with any real knowledge
about professional basketball would've taken that person seriously. Then
again, the same could be said if someone mentioned that Kobe Bryant,
Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, together with a few other NBA
stars were going to play a couple of exhibition games in the
Philippines.
After major strides by Philippine basketball (and major spending by a
guy named "MVP"), having big NBA names play in the Philippines is no
longer a dubious possibility. It was also about five years ago when
rumors of already retired NBA legend Karl Malone playing in the PBA was
met with harsh criticism and ridicule by basketball fans from and
outside of the Philippines. The notion then was that the PBA was such an
inferior league and that Malone would be embarrassing himself if he
made such a move.
How times have changed.
These days, a pit stop in the Philippines by a former high-profile
NBA player isn't such a bad move anymore. The Philippines has shown its
willingness to cough up cash, and the competition level has steadily
improved. It's perhaps why just a few years removed from his days as an
NBA All-Star, Tracy McGrady's handlers are eyeing the Philippines as a
destination for the former NBA scoring champion.
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Local agent Sheryl Reyes, who has a partnership McGrady's agency, was quoted by InterAKTV about bringing the 33-year-old, 6'8" forward to the PBA.
“Several people told me we can’t bring McGrady to China, now it has
become possible,” Reyes wrote in a text message. “My next agenda is to
bring him in the PBA as a replacement import just like what I did with
those ex-NBA players last season.”
