"New" faces will be there: Allan Caidic and Jong Uichico calling the shots for the first time in this event, Johnny Abarrientos returning after missing last year’s game due to an ailment, Danny Ildefonso, Ali Peek and Danny Ildefonso suiting up for the Veterans for the first time and a number of neophytes debuting for the RSJs.
These could very well spice up today’s big event as the Philippine Basketball Association once again rolls out the red carpet to its best and finest players in the All-Star Festivities at the Araneta Coliseum.
Game time of the much-awaited All-Star Game is at 6:30 p.m. with the Veterans, to be coached by Uichico, seeking a third straight win versus the RSJs.
The regular All-Star side events will be played starting at 4:15 p.m. with Boyet Fernandez looking to repeat as Three-Point King, Don Camaso defending his Slam Dunk title, Olsen Racela, Jimwell Torion Jayjay Helterbrand, Felix Belano and Jason Webb slugging it out in the buzzer beater and Alvin Patrimonio and Noy Castillo heading the cast in the 2Ball competition.
The Veterans loom as the heavy favorites but the Young Turks promise to give a good fight in a bid to duplicate victories of the RSJ teams in 1996 and 1997.
Caidic, a nine-year All-Star Game player who gained the right to coach the RSJs for steering Barangay Ginebra to a second-place finish in the All-Filipino Conference, assured the game will not be all fun, saying they will fight hard to win the game.
"I’m sure, my team will challenge the Veterans. This is just an exhibition game but, of course, we’ll still feel good to win, specially winning against the league’s old stars," said Caidic, who’ll have Mark Caguioa, Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Seigle, Rudy Hatfield and Ronald Magtulis as his starters.
"This is still about pride lalo na sa mga players ko. Sila ang beterano, so they will try to show who’s the boss," said Uichico, who, on the other hand, has Abarrientos, Ildefonso, Kenneth Duremdes, Alvin Patrimonio and Jun Limpot as his starters.
The reserves are Helterbrand, John Arigo, Don Allado, Kerby Raymundo, Asi Taulava, Davonn Harp and Gherome Ejercito for the RSJs and Castillo, Peek, Racela, Jeffrey Cariaso, Chris Jackson, Poch Juinio and Dennis Espino.
Abarrientos, Patrimonio and Limpot are likely to make a show after missing the game last year. Abarrientos, voted to play in the All-Star in all his nine years in the league, didn’t show up in the game in Iloilo last year due to a fever. Patrimonio, now a 13-time All-Star player, and Limpot, an eight-time All-Star, sat out most of the game after suffering injuries in the opening minutes.
Despite the loss of the three, the Veterans, however, still showed up the RSJs, staging a fiery chase in the fourth quarter on the way to a 93-78 win.
Meneses scored 18 points then and was named All-Star MVP for the third time in the last six years – the most by any player in the league. Ironically, he wasn’t voted to play what could be his ninth All-Star Game.