Hatfield back soon but will he play?

Rudy Hatfield is returning to Manila on Aug. 28 but his agent Bill Rosmarino told The STAR yesterday nothing is final on his much-awaited comeback in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

"Everything will be finalized when he gets back," said Rosmarino in a text message from Chongqing, China. "So it’s status quo until his arrival." Rosmarino said the recent trade for Hatfield’s signing rights by Coca-Cola to Ginebra San Miguel – assuming it is approved by PBA commissioner Noli Eala – was "a pleasant surprise" but there are implications on how much the "H-Bomb" can expect as a salary because of the team cap.

"With the rights trade, Rudy will have to accept a major pay cut but we are willing to explore this," said Rosmarino who mentioned a two-year contract may be an agreeable option.

Hatfield, 28, is finishing a paramedic course for a fireman’s license in Michigan and will arrive in Manila with Rosmarino.

"I’ve been talking with Rudy and he’s excited to come back and play," said Rosmarino, an American who speaks Filipino and has lived in Bacolod for years. "I think his best friend Eric (Menk) had a lot to do with it. With Eric’s prodding, Rudy started to get the itch to play again. Eric and Rudy spent a week together in Michigan recently."

Rosmarino said a two-year contract won’t tie Hatfield down for a long period and gives him the freedom to decide his future in the medium term.

Hatfield played his last PBA game for Coca-Cola on Oct. 17, 2004. He compiled 13 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and four steals in 38 minutes as the Tigers beat San Miguel Beer, 92-84, in the 2004 Philippine Cup. Coca-Cola was 3-1 with Hatfield in uniform and 6-10 without him in the conference.

The 6-5 forward was included in a Department of Justice order for deportation on a charge of falsifying documents to acquire Filipino citizenship in 2004. He was later cleared of the charge, leaving no doubt as to the lineage of his full-blooded Filipina mother Lilian Advincula Valdez. Asi Taulava and Mick Pennisi were also cleared.

Hatfield left Manila in October 2005, exasperated by the long wait for his clearance. He gave up his condo unit and got rid of his car. The night before his departure, his citizenship was cleared. But Hatfield had made up his mind to leave.

Trying out a life without basketball, Hatfield enrolled in a pro wrestling school in Boston but decided to join the fire academy instead.

Early this year, Hatfield played against a PBA draft prospect in a Filipino league in Michigan and realized how much he’d missed the game.

"I played a game in the Filipino league which is pretty hardcore," said Hatfield. "I played against the future of the PBA, Kelly Williams, who was back in town for a week or so. He basically kicked my ass up and down the court. Dunked on me a couple of times, blocked about half my shots and was really just abusing me. So that really pissed me off. Definitely woke me up a little bit and got me thinking about playing a little bit more."

Rosmarino said if Hatfield returns to the PBA, he’ll start all over again by finding a place to live, buying a car to drive and settling in.