Return engagement for LeBron’s pal

MANILA, Philippines — LeBron James’ high school teammate Romeo Travis went to the PBA Finals with Alaska in the 2015 Governors Cup and returned to the Last Dance with Magnolia in the same conference last year. Now, he’s back for a third season and his mission is to mark another Finals appearance with the Hotshots.

Travis, 34, took Best Import honors in his PBA debut but failed to lead the Aces to the throne. He nailed the title three years later even as Alaska’s Mike Harris won the Best Import award. “I don’t play for stats,” he said. “Individual accolades come and go but championships last forever. I would trade any individual trophy for a championship any time. I’m a team player. I don’t take 30 shots a game. Right now, I’m not a contender for Best Import but that’s OK. I’ll take myself out of a game if we’re way ahead and I couldn’t care about padding my stats. My goal is to win the championship for Magnolia, nothing else. That’s what I’m here for.”

Travis is averaging 22.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in seven games so far this conference. His numbers are overshadowed by those of prolific imports K. J. McDaniels, Alonzo Gee and Manny Harris, all NBA veterans. Travis said his only concern is winning games for Magnolia whose record is now 4-4. He sat out the Hotshots’ 95-89 loss to Blackwater last Oct. 16 to recover from an ankle sprain but last Sunday, delivered 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Magnolia to a 118-103 decision over Columbian. Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said Travis is 85 to 90 percent back in form.

Travis is in town with his wife Shay and the younger two of their four children. The older two are in school in the US. Wherever he plays, Travis brings his family along. He’s played in Spain, Germany, Israel, Croatia, Ukraine, Russia, France, Italy, Thailand and Macedonia so basketball has opened doors for him around the world. In 2016, he became a Macedonian naturalized citizen to play for the national team in the European Qualifiers. The process of naturalization took about a month. Travis said he’s available to play for Macedonia but it doesn’t look like he’ll be back. “It was a great opportunity because I’ll never be able to play for the US,” he said.

Unlike James who went straight from high school to the NBA, Travis played four years at the University of Akron in his hometown. “No regrets,” he said. “I know my limitations. I decided to play in Akron because I wanted to learn how to focus more with all the hometown distractions. I played two NBA summer leagues with Cleveland and I should’ve played a third but it didn’t work out. I’m just blessed to play the game I love. Last year, I played for Mono Vampire in the ABL where three imports are allowed each team. It’s different in the PBA. I couldn’t say which is more fun or less fun to play in. In the PBA, it’s only one import so you need locals to get involved. In the ABL, it’s hard to imagine three imports on a bad night at the same time.”

In the NBA, Travis said he roots for the Cavs and the L. A. Lakers. “If they play against each other, I like Cleveland because that’s my home team but I also want LeBron to play well,” he said. “Besides, the Lakers have more wins to give. LeBron’s in a good situation. The Lakers new coach Frank Vogel is defense-oriented and Anthony Davis takes some pressure off LeBron. If it’s the Clippers against the Lakers, I’ll go for the Lakers. Sometimes, you go with heart over mind. I think there’s more parity now in the NBA. Every team has a chance. The Finals will come down to which teams are the healthiest.”

Travis said he’s often in contact with James. “We were in a group chat just a few days ago, talking about basketball and stuff,” he said. “LeBron and I were two of the Fab Five in high school and we all get together every summer. Next year, the guys plan to take a trip, maybe to L.A. to visit LeBron or somewhere else, maybe the Philippines.”

In Europe, Travis said his favorite cities are Tel Aviv and Paris. “Tel Aviv is amazing and you can’t go wrong with Paris,” he said. “Kiev was also amazing. Since finishing college, I’ve played overseas every year. It’s been a wonderful journey.”