Ward a liar - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

Now it can be told.

Deposed Mobiline import Jerod Ward speaks with forked tongue.

Before coming here to play for the Phone Pals in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup, Ward said he underwent his last surgery in 1998.

But team manager Frankie Lim got a tip from Los Angeles Stars assistant coach Earl Cureton that Ward had a knee operation only a few months ago. Ward played for the Stars in the American Basketball Association (ABA) this past season.

Ward swore his knees were fine. And they looked good when he fired 61 points in his PBA debut. The giveaway was Ward never liked to penetrate–he took almost all of his shots from the perimeter. Could it be because he didn’t want to risk wear and tear on his knees? For the record, he had major surgery on both knees in college.

Then, after his fifth game, Ward admitted his knee hurt. That wasn’t the only thing hurting. His ego was, too. Mobiline had lost three of its last four games with Ward in harness and his output was progressively on the decline. In the dressing room, smarting from an 82-79 loss to Pop Cola last June 27, Ward asked for his passport from Lim.

"He was frustrated–so were we," related Lim. "Bwisit siya kasi talo. He thought I would try to convince him to stay. Coach Louie (Alas) and I had already talked about it. I told Ward no problem–I’d book him out on a flight right away. After an hour, he phoned me and said he didn’t really want to leave. Too late. We already decided to bring back Tod (Bernard)."

Before packing his bags, Ward visited Dr. Raul Canlas to ask about his knee. Lim said Dr. Canlas confirmed that Ward was coming off surgery, about two weeks before arriving here. "Bad faith," fumed Lim. Believe it or not, Ward wanted Mobiline to pay for the treatment on his knee which was banged up.

"The guy’s a liar," said Lim. "We took a chance on him because we knew he was good. And we thought if some other team got him and he turned out to be super, we’d never forgive ourselves."

Ward wasn’t Mobiline’s first choice. Rosell Ellis was. But when Ellis found out the Pals sent for Shawn Simpson to try out as a standby replacement, he decided to take off. Simpson’s tryout didn’t work out and that paved the way for Ward’s arrival.

Mobiline’s early conference woes left Lim with a huge headache. "Parang sinumpa kami ng sampung dwende," he sighed. "Our practices were excellent but during games, we couldn’t execute. Ward was a sweet talker, magaling magsalita. He’d tell Louie he’ll play according to plan but once he had the ball, out of control na. I don’t think he’s coachable–swapang kasi. Magaling siya but he wants to play by himself."

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Bernard is back. He flew in last Friday and although Mobiline lost in his first game, Lim is optimistic the reversal is just around the corner. Bernard saw action in Korea after playing for Mobiline in the Third Conference last year and will continue to suit up for the Pals in the coming Governors Cup.

Asi Taulava’s return is another boost.

Lim said Taulava’s lawyers quietly compiled affidavits attesting to his mother’s Filipino roots even as he played in the ABA. So when Taulava finally came back, the paperwork on his citizenship went smoothly.

"Asi’s determined–he’s got a family now and he’s learned from his past mistakes," said Lim. "Nabanat siya when he tried out for the Dallas Mavericks–that’s when he started losing weight because he had to keep pace with guys who ran faster and were bigger than him. When he was here, Asi once weighed 290 pounds. He went down to 233 in the ABA and now, he’s even leaner at 220."

Lim declined to comment on reports that Taulava came here with practically nothing in his bank account. The talk is he entrusted about P4 Million to a friend who promised to invest the money in his behalf. Taulava never saw the money again. Worse, his "friend" is now claiming Taulava owes him P600,000.

Taulava’s story is reminiscent of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s plight. Kareem lost his savings when his agent Tom Collins swindled him nearly out of house and home. He went from riches to rags. Eventually, Kareem got back on his feet. In Taulava’s case, he lost his money early in his career so he has a lot of years ahead to make up.

"Asi’s grateful to (team owner) Mr. (Manny) Pangilinan for all his support," said Lim. "He’ll never forget what Mobiline has done for him. That’s why he’s playing his guts out. That’s why I have this feeling that sooner than later, we’ll start picking up."

The first stumbling block to Mobiline’s march to the top is gone. Ward left early this week.