Distrito granted parole, ready to pick up pieces

MANILA, Philippines - Former PBA player Rudy Distrito has been granted parole in the United States and is back in the country, looking to start a new life.

He’s hoping to get into coaching.

Distrito, 51, was among four Filipinos escorted by US marshalls yesterday morning aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 103 from Los Angeles.

He’s did time at the Northern Nevada jail for voluntary manslaughter.

Upon his release, Distrito was brought straight from jail to the Los Angeles International Airport.

Reports said he’s banking on help by relatives and friends here at the moment with members of his family all in the United States.

Upon arrival in Manila, Distrito proceeded to a relative’s house in Pasay then visited a dentist. Apparently, he lost some teeth in an accident while playing basketball in the Nevada jail complex.

He last played pro ball with the San Juan Knights in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association.

He starred in the PBA for years, playing for Crispa, Countryfair, Magnolia, Alaska, Ginebra and Sunkist.

The hard-nosed off-guard had career averages of 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 15 seasons.

The biggest highlight of his career was converting a baseline jumper at the buzzer lifting Ginebra past Shell in the deciding Game Seven of the 1991 PBA First Conference finals.

His PBA career came to an end in 1995, unable to make a comeback after being suspended for a season for a dangerous foul against Jeffrey Cariaso.

He was imprisoned in the United States 10 years later.

He was found guilty of stabbing to death Mexican Juan Amaya who had married his former live-in partner, Marie Jo Buenafe, in Nov. 2004 and languished in jail for 10 years in Nevada. – With report from Rudy Santos