San Miguel Beer is making a key adjustment two days before the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup unfolds at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A reliable Daily Tribune source said former Virgin Islands national team standout Ivan Aska will serve as Beermen’s reinforcement after their original choice, Tyler Stone, had to rush back to the United States due to a family emergency.
Stone practiced with the Beermen on Friday but is expected to leave very soon to attend to his wife who just gave birth.
On the other hand, the 33-year-old Aska is already in town and is expected to easily surpass the required 6-foot-9 height limit as he is listed at 6-foot-7 during his stint for the Virgin Islands in the FIBA AmeriCup last year.
San Miguel has yet to formally notify the league’s Commissioner’s Office about its change of import.
Aska is coming in with stellar credentials.
He emerged as the Most Valuable Player in the FIBA CaribeBasket, where he represented the Virgin Islands against teams like Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Suriname and Guyana.
He also played in various leagues in Latin America and Europe and had a significant contribution to Soles Mexicali in the Mexican League, where he averaged 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.
With Stone out, San Miguel became the latest team to change reinforcements after Meralco let go of Feron Hunt in exchange of Suleiman Braimoh and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel hired Tony Bishop as replacement of Justin Brownlee.
TNT Tropang Giga is also expected to hire a new import any time soon after Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fell prey to gastroenteritis and acid reflux, prompting him to miss the next two weeks.
