Cruz gets PBL okay to suit up for Hapee

The Philippine Basketball League yesterday cleared UST stalwart Jervy Cruz to play for Hapee Toothpaste in the league’s season-opening conference next month after Mail and More failed to come up with an offer sheet within the prescribed period of time.

“Jervy Cruz has every right to choose any team he wants to play for because they (Mail and More) were unable to sign him up within the prescribed period under PBL rules,” PBL executive assistant Butch Maniego told The STAR.

This came about after Mail and More coach Allan Gregorio protested Cruz’s transfer to Hapee, insisting they felt shortchanged even as they stand to get nothing from their first round pick in the last PBL draft.

But the PBL said it was the Comets’ fault that Cruz was forced to look for other options other than play for Mail and More.

Under PBL rules, once a team drafts a player, it has seven working days to tender that player an offer. In Cruz case, the PBL sent out a letter that any team that drafts him would have to wait until the next conference before availing itself of his services,since he was going to join the national team to the SEA Games in Thailand. But this did not affect the rule regarding offer sheets.

“Jervy was waiting for an offer sheet from Mail and More but it never came. We have evidences to prove that we’re telling the truth,” said University of Santo Tomas team manager Clarence Aytona, who was asked by Cruz to represent him in the PBL.

But Gregorio said he did try to contact Cruz, the reigning UAAP MVP, after the draft contrary to the player’s claim that he wasn’t offered to sign up with the Comets. Gregorio said Cruz never returned his calls.

“That was a lie. In fact, Jervy answered his (Gregorio) call when he finally decided to call him, which came more than a week after the grace period,” said Aytona.

“There was a time when Allan Gregorio and I bumped into each other, I told him I tried to talk to Jervy, who at the time is a free agent, and arrange a meeting among us. But Jervy has already decided against playing for Mail and More because he was really hurt for what they did to him,” Aytona said.