"If reports say this is my last year, that’s true. Upon the advice by my doctor and after close consultation with my family, I’m taking the advice. I must give myself a good rest," said the good commissioner.
Bernardino said he will discuss with the board his plan to step down and will recommend his deputy and executive director Sonny Barrios as possible replacement.
But Bernardino denied reports that he’ll leave the league at midstream this season, saying he still has a lot of unfinished jobs – the foremost of which is the country’s bid to reclaim lost glory in the coming Asian Games in Busan, Korea. The outgoing PBA commissioner will sit down as the RP basketball team manager in the Games.
Bernardino is to undertake an alternative therapy program for his ailment in New York by mid-August then proceed to Indianapolis for the World Basketball Championship before coming home to join the RP delegation to the Busan joust.
Bernardino deeply appreciated the kind words of PBA board chairman Butch Alejo in his statement with regards to the report that they’re about to name a new commissioner.
"The board has been so kind to me. It’s so nice of the chairman to go out and make that statement," said Bernardino.
On his moving out of the basketball spotlight, Bernardino said: "I’ll be gone just for a while to recharge. I’ll be back for sure. In what manner, that I don’t know at the moment."
Meanwhile, Chris Clay and Stephen Howard gave Sta. Lucia Realty a 69-63 win over Coca-Cola in the Samsung PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo last night.
The Realtors worked as one cohesive team with Howard, Clay, Marlou Aquino and Francis Adriano scoring the bulk of their output, grabbing second place on the leaderboard with a 5-2 win-loss card. The Tigers slid to third with a 5-3 slate.
Alaska Milk pulled even with San Miguel and Talk N Text at fourth place with identical 4-3 records as the Aces routed Barangay Ginebra, 80-63, in the second game.