Playing the waiting game

source: Rick Olivares | /businessmirror.com.ph

All seemed quiet a day after Japeth Aguilar’s representatives engaged in a sort of a tug o’ war with Burger King management.

Perhaps because the crisis is being managed with care so much so that the six-foot-nine, 22-year-old No. 1 draft pick would be eventually convinced to don a Whopper jersey come the Philippine Cup of the 35th Philippine Basketball Association season in October.

“Nothing has been finalized. We will see where this goes,” said Ronnie Nathanielsz, a newspaper columnist and sports broadcaster who is said to be Aguilar’s manager.

Yeng Guiao, the Burger King head coach who wanted to win his first All-Filipino crown with Aguilar on the Whopper roster, left the decision to his team’s management.

“I will leave this to Lito Alvarez to sort out. If Japeth signs with us then we will welcome him to our team because as you know, we could use a talent like him for the PBA wars,” he said.

Alvarez is Burger King’s representative to the PBA board. He is also the 35th season league chairman.

Aguilar, represented by Nathanielsz and his father Peter, a former pro, reportedly did not sign any contracts with Burger King when his camp met with Alvarez on Wednesday afternoon in Makati. The elder Aguilar is in the US but actively participated in the negotiations through telephone.

The young center apparently was turned off with how Guiao handled him during the Fiba-Asia Championship in Tianjin, China. Aguilar was sparingly used, especially against the powerhouse teams Iran, Jordan and even Korea.

Guiao earlier reasoned out Aguilar was not ripe for the Tianjin tournament—although he has repeatedly described the former Ateneo Blue Eagle as the “next dominant big man in the PBA.”

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has been openly expressing its interest for Aguilar to join the Smart-Gilas developmental team full-time. As a result, speculations are rife he is headed toward that direction.