Japeth Aguilar explains decision not to go the PBA
story and picture by rick olivares
story and picture by rick olivares
When asked hypothetically if he could change his homecoming that has stirred a hornet’s nest, Japeth Aguilar simply said, “Probably.”
Aguilar, the overall number one selection of Burger King in the 2009 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft, turned the local professional basketball world topsy-turvy when he spurned signing with the club in favor of hoping to secure a slot with the Smart Gilas National Team last Wednesday August 26 at the Air21 offices in Makati.
In a special press conference held at the Kamayan sa EDSA, Aguilar, accompanied by sportswriter and personal agent Ronnie Nathanielsz, his sister Micah, and his uncle Alexander Vestal and his wife Tess, explained why he arrived at the decision not to sign with Burger King.
While finishing his senior year at Western Kentucky, the 6’10” Aguilar was invited to play for Smart Gilas and he joined the team during its training at the Joe Abunassar Impact Basketball Camp last May in Las Vegas, Nevada. The experience he said that tugged at his heart. “It’s a young team and I could relate to many of the players since I played with some of them in college when I was in Ateneo.”
At that time of the training there were three Blue Eagles on the national pool – Chris Tiu, Ford Arao, and Ryan Buenafe -- although it was only Tiu who suited up for the squad during its baptism of fire at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup where the Rajko Toroman-coached team finished fifth in Jakarta, Indonesia last May. Aguilar thought it would be an honor to suit up for a team that played with a lot of fire and intensity. “Then they are on an important mission,” he marveled.
He could not commit to Smart Gilas at that time because he wasn’t done with school. By the time he graduated, it was the Powerade Pilipinas team that was getting ready to compete in the Jones Cup and the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship as most of the Gilas players shuffled back to their respective schools in time for the college basketball season.
“The composition of the Powerade national team by virtue of the PBA’s involvement is that it must be an all-pro line-up,” clarified Nathanielsz. “So the only way for Japeth to join them was to be drafted.”
While at the Fiba tournament in Tianjin, China, Aguilar had an epiphany during the losing skid of the Philippines. “We can beat the other teams but we were not ready since the team lacked chemistry and cohesion. My teammates and I badly wanted to win and we were all disappointed as much as everybody that we couldn’t get the job done. I made the decision that I wanted to play again for the national team and help the Philippines regain its respect in the world sport.”
Burger King’s representative to the PBA Lito Alvarez said that the club offered Aguilar “a maximum contract with the provision that he will be loaned out to Gilas.”
That is something Nathanielsz disputed. “The PBA’s rules state that a player cannot be loaned to the national team or anywhere when the season is in progress? Who are we to stop a young man from serving his country? And you cannot play for two clubs at the same time?”
When asked if he or Nathanielsz have been in touch with Smart Gilas, both unequivocally said no. “Not since Las Vegas,” emphasized the agent who said he had to pay the Php10,000 fee to represent Aguilar in negotiations with the PBA.
Aguilar flew to the United States last night for a two-week vacation where he will visit his parents. His father, Peter, once donned the national colors and played in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League for RFM Swift under Yeng Guiao and in PBA for Ginebra San Miguel under Robert Jaworski.
The young slotman will also drop by his alma mater the University of Kentucky to visit his fiancée, Jessica Magley, who plays forward for the women’s basketball team. The two are scheduled to tie the knot next year.
When he returns, Aguilar hopes that the current row with the PBA would have been settled and that he can work out a contract with Smart Gilas. When asked if he is worried about being banned in the PBA, Aguilar shrugged and said, “I hope not. Sana hindi. Right now I just want to play for the country.”
Nathanielsz said that there are no rules in the PBA that sanction players who do not sign contracts with the clubs that draft them. “And there are players who are drafted yet never offered contracts,” riposted the sportswriter-agent.
Aguilar denied reports that he was unhappy being benched in Tianjin. “Sanay na tayo diyan,” he said nonchalantly. “It has nothing to do with coach Yeng. Do I think that Gilas would have performed better in Tianjin? Hindi natin masabi yan. Different team and different coach. My decision is really a desire to help the country fight for a slot to the London Olympics. Powerade’s mission is done. It’s Smart Gilas’ turn.”
Aguilar, the overall number one selection of Burger King in the 2009 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft, turned the local professional basketball world topsy-turvy when he spurned signing with the club in favor of hoping to secure a slot with the Smart Gilas National Team last Wednesday August 26 at the Air21 offices in Makati.
In a special press conference held at the Kamayan sa EDSA, Aguilar, accompanied by sportswriter and personal agent Ronnie Nathanielsz, his sister Micah, and his uncle Alexander Vestal and his wife Tess, explained why he arrived at the decision not to sign with Burger King.
While finishing his senior year at Western Kentucky, the 6’10” Aguilar was invited to play for Smart Gilas and he joined the team during its training at the Joe Abunassar Impact Basketball Camp last May in Las Vegas, Nevada. The experience he said that tugged at his heart. “It’s a young team and I could relate to many of the players since I played with some of them in college when I was in Ateneo.”
At that time of the training there were three Blue Eagles on the national pool – Chris Tiu, Ford Arao, and Ryan Buenafe -- although it was only Tiu who suited up for the squad during its baptism of fire at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup where the Rajko Toroman-coached team finished fifth in Jakarta, Indonesia last May. Aguilar thought it would be an honor to suit up for a team that played with a lot of fire and intensity. “Then they are on an important mission,” he marveled.
He could not commit to Smart Gilas at that time because he wasn’t done with school. By the time he graduated, it was the Powerade Pilipinas team that was getting ready to compete in the Jones Cup and the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship as most of the Gilas players shuffled back to their respective schools in time for the college basketball season.
“The composition of the Powerade national team by virtue of the PBA’s involvement is that it must be an all-pro line-up,” clarified Nathanielsz. “So the only way for Japeth to join them was to be drafted.”
While at the Fiba tournament in Tianjin, China, Aguilar had an epiphany during the losing skid of the Philippines. “We can beat the other teams but we were not ready since the team lacked chemistry and cohesion. My teammates and I badly wanted to win and we were all disappointed as much as everybody that we couldn’t get the job done. I made the decision that I wanted to play again for the national team and help the Philippines regain its respect in the world sport.”
Burger King’s representative to the PBA Lito Alvarez said that the club offered Aguilar “a maximum contract with the provision that he will be loaned out to Gilas.”
That is something Nathanielsz disputed. “The PBA’s rules state that a player cannot be loaned to the national team or anywhere when the season is in progress? Who are we to stop a young man from serving his country? And you cannot play for two clubs at the same time?”
When asked if he or Nathanielsz have been in touch with Smart Gilas, both unequivocally said no. “Not since Las Vegas,” emphasized the agent who said he had to pay the Php10,000 fee to represent Aguilar in negotiations with the PBA.
Aguilar flew to the United States last night for a two-week vacation where he will visit his parents. His father, Peter, once donned the national colors and played in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League for RFM Swift under Yeng Guiao and in PBA for Ginebra San Miguel under Robert Jaworski.
The young slotman will also drop by his alma mater the University of Kentucky to visit his fiancée, Jessica Magley, who plays forward for the women’s basketball team. The two are scheduled to tie the knot next year.
When he returns, Aguilar hopes that the current row with the PBA would have been settled and that he can work out a contract with Smart Gilas. When asked if he is worried about being banned in the PBA, Aguilar shrugged and said, “I hope not. Sana hindi. Right now I just want to play for the country.”
Nathanielsz said that there are no rules in the PBA that sanction players who do not sign contracts with the clubs that draft them. “And there are players who are drafted yet never offered contracts,” riposted the sportswriter-agent.
Aguilar denied reports that he was unhappy being benched in Tianjin. “Sanay na tayo diyan,” he said nonchalantly. “It has nothing to do with coach Yeng. Do I think that Gilas would have performed better in Tianjin? Hindi natin masabi yan. Different team and different coach. My decision is really a desire to help the country fight for a slot to the London Olympics. Powerade’s mission is done. It’s Smart Gilas’ turn.”
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