The Flying A’s last flight?

Johnny Abarrientos has been through a lot in his stellar career. He teamed up with Vic Pablo to make Far Eastern University a powerhouse in the UAAP in the late 1980’s, before wearing the national colors and winning a gold medal in the 1991 Manila Southeast Asian Games. The starting point guard on an Alaska team that won a string of PBA championships, he became Most Valuable Player in 1996, the smallest player to earn the award.

Then, he was surprised to learn he had been traded to Pop Cola (later Coca-Cola), a painful experience which took him years to get over.

Two weeks ago, the Flying A learned that he was being released by the Tigers, less than a month before the new PBA season opened. Air21, Alaska and Sta. Lucia Realty reportedly expressed interest, but their rosters quickly filled up. As of last Tuesday, he was trying for a slot with Ginebra, and took a one-year contract with reduced pay and weighted with bonuses.

"I don’t know if I really got frustrated or what," Abarrientos told The STAR. "This is the first time that towards the end of my contract, they were going to release me, that they decided they were going to totally rebuild. And it had to happen now that I’m exiting."

The timing was particularly bad, because if Johnny had not found a team in time, he would have given up playing, for good.

"I have to overcome this challenge again, because I was almost forced to retire. My contract ends on the 30th, and the league starts on the 1st. I want that, when I stop, I stop permanently," the 5’7" PBA All-Star admitted.

Luckily, other teams did need a veteran point guard, and realized Johnny’s other value.

"There’s still the respect factor, that’s why some teams reacted when they found out I was being released. I’m very grateful, and I’m honored that they think that they cannot just use me as a player, but also for marketing purposes, or maybe as an assistant coach later on. I’m also at a point where I’m thinking about my future," Abarrientos said. "I’d like to coach someday, if it’s God’s will. I’m just enjoying my last two or three playing years."

Ironically, Ginebra, now loaded with a massive frontline, needs a veteran point guard to bring the unit some cohesion, and reign in their sometimes out-of-control offense. Add in the injury to Jay-jay Helterbrand and the pressure to win right away, and the need became dire.

"The small guys have to sacrifice. I told them that we have to send the ball inside first, to our big men. Anyway, that’s what will open things up for us and give us shots."

But Abarrientos is realistic about his deteriorating condition, exacerbated by his being in limbo the past few weeks.

"What made it worse was, when Coke released me, I had no team to practice with. So it ruined my conditioning," the many-time national player explained. "I wanted to practice, but I couldn’t. You know, the daily routine a player goes through. I would work out one day, then stop for two days. That’s why I told coach Jong to give me more time, because I’m still catching my wind. They’ve already been playing for over a month. I’ve only been at it for two weeks."

It was a blessing in disguise for Abarrientos to land in the lap of the most popular team in the country. Not only is the recognition factor very high, the team is now a perfect fit for Johnny’s physical state, as well.

"It’s hard to say. Now, it’s really my mind that’s willing to give all. My body is forced to follow," Abarrientos said in the vernacular. "Before, I used to rely on my speed, that’s the weapon of a point guard. Before, you just blink, and I leave you behind. Now, I’d say I’ve lost about 30 percent of it. Luckily, I don’t need to penetrate that much, since we have Mark (Caguioa) and Jay-jay (Helterbrand). So I can find the right timing."

Johnny expressed his gratitude to the Ginebra organization for taking a gamble on him. He wants a shot at expressing his gratitude to the fans who have been behind him all these years by going out with an entertaining flourish.

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My one-on-one interview with Johnny Abarrientos will be on tomorrow’s episode of The Basketball Show on RPN 9 at 2 p.m.