Alapag rejoins TnT, works out with Pinay baller in US

MANILA, Philippines – Jimmy Alapag, who arrived on Tuesday morning from a short vacation in the United States, is set to re-join the Tropang Texters when they play the Alaska Aces on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“I had a couple of days of practice,” Alapag told Philstar.com before their Thursday practice at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center inside the Ateneo campus.  â€œI’m just excited to be back on the court with the TnT guys, it’s been four months.”

Alapag is the last Gilas player to see action this conference with his teammates Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo and Larry Fonacier cutting short their supposed one month break and re-joined the team last week.

The 35-year old veteran point guard is hoping that he’ll have his legs back after spending quality time with his family and friends.

“I had a short break fortunate enough to make it to Harvey Carey’s wedding in San Francisco and was able to make it down to LA for my parents’ 50^th anniversary.  It was really great spending quality time with my family and friends,” Alapag said.

Jimmy Alapag's parents Crispin and Aurora (center) celebrated their 50th Anniversary in Los Angeles, California. 

The former PBA MVP received a heroes’ welcome from his family and friends in the United States after helping Gilas Pilipinas win the silver medal in the recent FIBA Asia Championship and a ticket to the FIBA World Cup in Spain next year.

“My entire family couldn’t have been more proud not only for myself but for the entire team,” Alapag said.

“My mom and dad taped the games to be able to watch me play from abroad. It was just great.  I really value the time that I had a chance to spend with my family.”

But Alapag spent his vacation wisely and not allow himself to get out of shape.

“The last week before I came (home) to Manila, I had a chance to visit my old coach [Derek Wynn], he’s known me since grade school. He and his wife Jody are actually the head coaches of Long Beach State women’s basketball team,” Alapag said.  â€œWe got back to the workout we used to do a long time ago.”

While working out with his former coach, he met Hallie Meneses, a pure Filipina, who is the starting point guard of the Long Beach State women’s basketball team.  

“It’s great to have a chance to know her. We worked out a few times together. She’s a great player.  And hopefully, she’ll have an opportunity to come here in the Philippines and play for our national team,” said Alapag referring to the 5-foot-5 point guard.  

“She can really shoot the ball well.  She handles the ball really well,” said Alapag of Meneses’ game.

Meneses red-shirted last season and is now ready to show her stuff with the Long Beach State. She played one year at the City College of San Francisco where she led the Rams to the State finals and in the process earned a spot in the All-State Women’s Tournament Team and also got All-Coast Conference honors as a freshman.

Meneses played for Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco where she was named as All-City co-Player of the Year in 2008 and 2010. In her last year in high school, she averaged 15.1 points on top of 5.3 steals and an eye-popping 5.8 steals aside from 2.9 rebounds per game.

“She’s a pure Filipina, both her parents are Filipinos and it was great meeting fellow Filipino playing good basketball in the United States,” Alapag said.