MANILA, Philippines — Calvin Abueva has yet to suit up for the Phoenix Fuel Masters since his indefinite suspension from the Philippine Basketball Association.
Though already in the PBA bubble in Clark City, Abueva has still not been given the green light to get back on the hardcourt even more than a year removed from his initial sentence.
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Despite his absence, Abueva still manages to contribute to his squad — at least in the form of added motivation each time they play a contest without "The Beast".
Phoenix coach Topex Robinson in tears talking about "son" Calvin Abueva.
— John Bryan Ulanday (@bryanulanday) October 23, 2020
"We (Fuel Masters) just do not want to give up. He (Calvin) does not want to give up. We always do it for Calvin."@PhilippineStar @PhilstarNews @StarSportsHub pic.twitter.com/Am3KFARrjE
"I think one of the big reasons din for us to not give up... It's really hard to leave the gym, to leave the hotel, knowing that one of your "sons" is not with you," a tearful head coach Topex Robinson said of missing Abueva in their games.
"We just told Calvin to keep on trying, keep on being positive... It's really hard because he wants to play and he wants to contribute," the tactician added.
Robinson cited Abueva's continuous perseverance despite the adversity as inspiration for his squad to do the same who are fresh from a win that arrested a two-game slide.
"We just do not want to give up. We always do it for Calvin... Winning it for Calvin is really big for us," Robinson said.
It remains unclear if Abueva will be able to return in the PBA bubble season.