One of Calvin Abueva’s “best buddies” came to his rescue as he faced another controversy after Game 2 of the 2023-2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
Ian Sangalang, one of the famous “Pinatubo Trio” (Calvin being the other, and Ronald Pascual) revealed on Friday, February 9, that he talked some sense to his co-Magnolia forward after the latter’s unwanted antics.
Abueva was seen on TV mocking the disability of San Miguel Beermen coach Jorge Gallent.
He was fined P100,000 by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial after the incident.
“Kinausap ko si Calvin. Nung time na ‘yun, ang dami niyang story na parang … alam ko ‘yun naman ‘yung istorya about sa nangyari. And then sabi ko lang sa kanya, ‘Bawi ka lang next game. Focus ka lang next game. After finals, doon natin pag-usapan, mag-inuman tayo.’ So ang alam ko lang kay Calvin, may gusto siyang taong makausap. Ayun, ginawa ko ‘yun para kumalma siya,” Sangalang told reporters.
Abueva, who was also celebrating his birthday, also engaged in a verbal spat with SMB forward Mo Tautuaa’s wife.
The two have settled their issues after getting summoned by the league commissioner, the PBA said in a statement.
“And nakita niyo naman, ‘yung game na pagbalik niya, wala talaga siyang ano — as in focused siya. ‘Yung sarili niya, kontrolado niya. Even today [Friday]. Even sa game ngayon, nakita niyo kung paano [niya] kontrolin ‘yung sarili niya,” the Magnolia forward added.
Abueva had a double-double shy of nine points, 11 rebounds and three assists in Game 4, while Sangalang had 13 markers, three boards and a dime.
“So ‘yun talaga si Calvin. Alam naman natin madami siyang antics, pero ngayong finals, kailangan niya talagang maging ganun throughout this series.”
The two players go a long way. Abueva and Sangalang were part of the 2009 championship team of San Sebastian College in the NCAA, and they also won crowns in the PBA D-League with the NLEX Road Warriors.
In a pre-finals press conference on February 1, they told the media what it would mean to win a title again together.
“Sobrang sarap ‘pag nag-champion kami ni Calvin sa PBA kasi marami na kaming games na pinagdaanan, sa college, sa D-League, so nag-champion kami lahat doon. Dito sa PBA, ‘pag mag-champion kami, memories ‘yun na ‘di namin makakalimutan,” Sangalang said.
“‘Yun nga, sinabi ni Ian, pinagsamahan namin, sana dito magawa namin ‘yung kailangan naming gawin,” Abueva affirmed his friend’s thoughts.
Magnolia was triumphant in equalizing the series, 2-2. (ABS-CBN News)