San Miguel Beer believes Kyt Jimenez is more than just an online sensation and that the former Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League crowd darling has what it takes to shine in the Philippine Basketball Association.
The Beermen didn’t have draft rights in the first and second rounds but wasted no time in picking power forward Troy Mallilin, another hot property in the MPBL, and the dazzling Jimenez, who wound up 76th overall.
Before he burst onto mainstream basketball scene, Jimenez became an Internet celebrity playing street challenge basketball events in different parts of tne country.
But he made history in the MPBL when he pisted the league’s first ever quadruple-double performance in the MPBL: 33 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals.
Team manager Gee Abanilla conferred with the SMB coaches before onling Mallilin and Jimenez to two-year deals.
“For a team that doesn’t have a first and second round picks,I would say that our team is really blessed,” Abanilla told DAILY TRIBUNE in a telephone interview.
“Troy is a well-built player who can defend well at the post and can play the No.3 and No.4 spots similar to what Vic Manuel is doing.”
Abanilla is also raving about Jimenez.
“On the other hand, we’re also lucky to have Kyt Jimenez as our late pick. We’re getting him not just because he’s an online sensation and he’s so popular in the Internet, but we saw that he can really play. You can see the flashes of brilliance, but of course, he’s still adjusting to the system and the PBA brand of play.”
Mallilin is a 6-foot-4, former juniors Most Valuable Player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and previously saw action for the Rizal Golden Coolers in the MPBL where he became the main man at the post.
Jimenez, on the other hand, will have an opportunity of playing alongside his idol, Terrence Romeo, and the spitfire guard will give a new dimension to the veteran-laden Beermen lineup.
“The addition of those two guys had really energized our team,” said Abanilla.
“The coaches love them and that’s the reason why they really pushed for the signing of these two players. It was really the coaches, headed of course, by Jorge Gallent, who pushed for their inclusion.”
The Beermen are currently preparing for the coming PBA season that kicks off with the Commissioner’s Cup on 5 November.
But four of their players are still currently on loan for the national team — June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross — and they are likely to give them a break once they wrap up their campaign in the ongoing Asian Games men’s basketball tournament in Hangzhou, China.
But Mo Tautuaa and Romeo, players originally handpicked by Cone to join the Gilas Asian Games squad, are currently practicing while Manuel is still recovering from a knee injury.
