SEVILLE, Spain – Gilas Pilipinas’ journey in this Andalucia capital city was to end Thursday, and it’s still uncertain where Paul Lee is heading to back home.
Mamerto Mondragon, Rain or Shine’s representative to the PBA board, has been here the last three days but he’s not approaching Lee even as the player’s contract with the team has expired Aug. 31.
“The marching order from the team owners (Raymond Yu and Terry Que) is not to talk to Paul. Let Paul concentrate with Gilas first,” said Mondragon.
“At saka hindi naman kami ang nag-umpisa niyan (And we’re not the ones that started the problem),” Mondragon also said, referring to Lee’s uncertain status at the moment.
A Gilas teammate said Lee is concerned with his status.
“Syempre medyo magulo ang isip. He’s playing without a playing contract now. What if he gets injured?” said the Gilas player.
Before the start of the World Cup, Lee called up Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, asking that he be allowed to go somewhere else.
Apparently, his camp was offered a deal by someone supposedly representing a team from a major block in the league, but the talk has not come to fruition.
Officials from San Miguel Corp. and the MVP Group are both insisting they’re not the ones after the services of Lee.
Meanwhile, Lee is left competing with Gilas Pilipinas without a guaranteed contract from a mother team back home.
That may still be the case all the way to Incheon, Korea where they compete in the Asian Games.