All’s Wells that ends Wells

He came in two days late but Barangay Ginebra coach Allan Caidic is just relieved that Charles Richard Wells — call him "Bubba" — is finally in town to play for the Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors Cup.

Wells, 27, should’ve planed in last Saturday — a day before Ginebra’s game against Pop Cola at the Big Dome. But he never showed up, forcing the Kings to play importless.

Ginebra team manager Ira Maniquis said Los Angeles-based Filipino import recruiter Mike Gonzalez had promised to deliver Wells last Saturday. When Gonzalez couldn’t be contacted after the no-show at the airport, Maniquis decided to go straight to Wells’ agent Kyle Rote, Jr.

Maniquis said he’ll never deal with Gonzalez, an import broker, again.

Rote, Jr., a former pro soccer star, turned out to be easy to talk to. "He knows the PBA well — he respects us, that’s why he doesn’t hesitate to send his players here, like David Wood and Sylvester Gray," said Maniquis. "On the phone, he’s a real gentleman — he doesn’t insist, he listens to reason."

Wells — who arrived Monday night — will suit up as Mark Jones’ replacement in Ginebra’s last two games of the eliminations. Jones suffered a hamstring injury after nine contests and although he’s begging to play, doctors — fearing an aggravation — are insisting on a long rest.

Ginebra’s record is 4-7. The Kings are in contention for a quarterfinals slot. Caidic’s charges play Talk ‘N Text tonight and Tanduay next Friday.

Wells is a perfect fit for Ginebra. He’s a do-it-all type of player — the ultimate go-to guy.

What’s remarkable about Wells is he’s walking around with steel rods implanted in each lower leg. When he’s undergoing a security check at the airport, stay clear. Metal detectors go grazy on Wells. He underwent two separate operations — the procedure is called a tibial nailing — as a varsity star at Austin Peay University, an NCAA Division I school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Despite the implants, Wells was picked on the second round by Dallas in the 1997 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft and played 39 games for the Mavericks in the 1997-98 season.

NBA scouting director Marty Blake described Wells as "a pure shooter with a tough edge to him." Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons noted, "I don’t care if he’s a shooting guard or a small forward, Bubba is a guy who can put the ball in the hole." College hoops writer Mike Organ said Wells "seldom takes a bad shot" and "can handle the ball as well as most guards and has learned to quickly recognize double-teams, whipping passes to teammates for easy baskets."

Wells was a campus hero at Austin Peay, the same school that produced playground legend Fly Williams. As a senior in 1996-97, he led the entire NCAA in scoring with a 31.7 clip. As a junior the year before, Wells ranked third with a 26.3 norm. Believe it or not, he shot over 40 percent from three-point range as a junior and senior.

Wells had his first implant after fracturing his right leg during the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) title game against Murray State in 1995. He bounced back to bag OVC Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year honors the next season, leading Austin Peay to a 19-11 record. Wells showed no effects of the surgery as he hit at a 26.3 clip, shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 75.9 percent from the line.

Before the 1996-97 season, Wells broke his left leg and underwent another tibial nailing. He sat out the varsity’s first 12 games (Austin Peay fell to 4-8) to recover from surgery then returned to power the Governors to a 13-6 mark the rest of the way. Wells shot 30 or more points in 11 of 19 games and finished his collegiate career with 58 straight games in double figures. He also wound up as the school’s all-time leading scorer (2,267 points).

In the NBA, Wells holds the dubious distinction of setting the record for a disqualification in only three minutes of play — all six fouls were on Chicago’s Dennis Rodman. His shining moment as a pro came when he compiled 21 points (10-of-14 field goals), nine rebounds, and seven assists against the San Antonio Spurs.

From the NBA, Wells took his bags to the Continental league where he averaged 8.9 points for LaCrosse in 1998-99. He hit 53.7 percent from the floor and 85.2 percent from the stripe in 13 outings. This past season, Wells saw action for the Memphis Houn’ Dawgs — averaging 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds — in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He shot 50.8 percent from the field, 82.1 percent from the line, and 37.5 percent from three-point distance.

Wells earned a degree in Public Management at Austin Peay. His wife Terol teaches special children. In 1997, he received a special commendation from the Tennessee State House of Representatives for outstanding community service. On his right biceps is a tattoo of the "Man of Steel," a reminder of what he endured to overcome fractures in both legs and still make it to the NBA.

Ominously, Wells’ varsity was nicknamed the Governors and he’s been called on to stoke the fires for Ginebra in the Governors Cup. The coincidence could be a sign of destiny. Wells might just bring out the best in the Kings as they battle to stay alive in the PBA.