The mere presence of James Yap in Blackwater’s training had given head coach Jeffrey Cariaso and Blackwater a lot of reasons to be excited for the coming Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup starting 28 February.
A week after securing his release from Rain or Shine, the seven-time champion immediately raised the excitement level of the Bossing, who are hoping to bounce back following a dismal performance in the Commissioner’s Cup where they won only once in 11 games.
Cariaso clarified that although Yap had already attended their first training yesterday, he is not yet an official member as he will formally sign his contract on Friday.
Cariaso, who was an assistant coach when Yap powered San Mig Coffee to a grand slam in 2014, said Yap could still be an asset as he still has a lot of gas left in his tank.
“I know, I really do,” Cariaso told Daily Tribune.
“Our bosses — Boss Dioceldo (Sy) and Boss Silliman (Sy), gave me a call, asking my thoughts on James possibly joining us.”
“There was no hesitation on my part. I really do believe that there’s some gas left on his tank.”
Cariaso said he understands the doubts surrounding Yap but asserted that he was also at the twilight of his career when he joined — and won a title — with Alaska in 2010.
“I was in a similar situation before. I was pushing 38 at that time, but I was still able to help and contribute when we won the championship,” Cariaso said, adding that Yap can still be an integral part of his rotation despite turning 42 years old on 15 February.
He added that Yap may no longer be the same feared gunner he used to be but his leadership and winning pedigree could inspire the young Bossing to do well in their quest for their first PBA title.
“As you get older, as you get to your late 30s, being called as Kuya or Manong and the old jokes start to come out, we still believe that James, being in his early 40s, because of his stature, because of the way he takes care of his body, there’s still some gas left in the tank,” Cariaso said.
“I think that is worth having him on board. We’re looking forward to this conference.”
