The door of Meralco is still wide open for import Suleiman Braimoh to enter.
Bolts coach Luigi Trillo said they would love to bring back Braimoh for another tour of duty in the Philippine Basketball Association.
He said the 6-foot-8 Braimoh is a gem of an import.
In fact, he was Meralco’s original choice and was doing well until tearing his Achilles tendon halfway through the eliminations.
The Bolts hired a new reinforcement in Shonn Miller, but instead of catching the first flight out of the country, Braimoh stayed behind and cheered for his teammates as they made a run into the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
In their quarterfinal match against Phoenix Super LPG, Braimoh was spotted giving Miller some inputs using the vast experience he gained from competing around the world.
“Su is a gem,” Meralco coach Luigi Trillo said.
“He’s been older than Shonn, so he’s helping him out. I’m just glad to have him and I hope he gets better. We’re lucky to have him. He knows what he’s doing because he’s a mentor, too.”
Braimoh could have been a major help to the Bolts, who forged a sudden-death battle with the Fuel Masters following a 117-106 victory.
But after posting solid averages of 32.8 points and 12 rebounds, he suffered an injury in their 97-94 win over NLEX on 3 December. He was ruled out of the tournament as he had to undergo surgery to repair his torn Achilles.
Trillo, however, stressed that this is not yet the end of their relationship with Braimoh.
“Yes, for sure,” said Trillo when asked about the team’s plan of bringing him back in the future.
“He’s one of those guys I’m sure any team would like to bring.”
