6th title sa Harbour Centre?

Ang makasaysayang limang sunod na titulo ng Harbour Centre matapos ang kanilang tagumpay sa PBL Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup, ay mahirap nang pantayan.

Mas lalong mahirap itong gawing anim na sunod na titulo.

Ito’y dahil walong players ang mawawala sa mga Batang Pier sa pangunguna ng Most Valuable Player na si Jason Castro para sa darating na komperensya ng Philippine Basketball League.

Nakatakdang maglaro si Castro, ang three-time PBL Most Valuable Player (MVP) awardee, sa Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) bilang ‘import’ ng Singapore Slingers sa 2008-2009 season nito sa Hulyo.

 Inaasahan namang lalahok sa darating na 2008 PBA Rookie Draft sina Sol Mercado, TY Tang, Jonathan Fernandez, Jeff Chan, Chad Alonzo, Al Vergara at Beau Belga.

  “In as much as we want to keep the core of the team intact, hindi rin naman namin puwedeng pigilan kung anumang opportunities ang naghihintay sa kanila,” pahayag ni team owner Mikee Romero. “So the rebuilding process starts for us. That’s the way it is. Basketball is a recruitment process.”

Tanging maiiwan sa Harbour Centre ay sina Dylan Ababou, Edwin Asoro, Chester Taylor at magbabalik naman si 6’7 Rico Maierhofer. 

“This could be our toughest challenge yet,” pahayag naman ni coach George Gallent. “But we thrived on challenges.”

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to surround them with a good supporting cast. It’s like starting all over again,” wika naman ni team manager Eric Arejola.

Sa pagtutulungan  nina Castro, Mercado, Tang, Fernandez, Chan, Alonzo, Belga at expro Boyet Bautista, tinapos ng Batang Pier  ang best-of-five championship series kontra sa Hapee Complete Protectors sa 3-1. (Mae Balbuena)