Caguioa, Helterbrand, Menk honored to be part of PBA’s greatest

Naveen Ganglani

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Caguioa, Helterbrand, Menk honored to be part of PBA’s greatest
Ginebra favorites Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand, plus former Ginebra star Eric Menk, consider themselves lucky to be included among the league's 40 greatest players

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – The PBA officially announced on Wednesday, December 3, the names of players they will include in their 40 greatest players list in celebration of the league’s 40th anniversary in 2015. 

Headlining the 15 new additions are former two-time PBA MVPs Danny Ildefonso, Willie Miller, and James Yap, while other former MVPs and league All-Stars will also be included. 

One of those is Eric Menk. Currently a veteran for the Alaska Aces, Menk spent the prime years of his career with Barangay Ginebra and won the PBA’s MVP award in 2005 when he averaged 17.5 PPG and 11.8 RPG and led Ginebra to two conference titles. 

When informed about his addition to the PBA’s greatest players list, Menk said just being considered was already an honor itself.

“You know, there’s been a lot of good players. It’s an honor just to be considered. I don’t know who’s in the panel; it’s obviously very subjective, but I feel honored just to be mentioned and considered.”

The 40-year-old Menk credited the feat to some of the teammates he’s played with in his career, as well as some of his coaches. 

“I’ve been very fortunate to have been on the right team at the right time, played with great teammates, and great coaches, so those guys have as much to do with my success as I have. It’s nice to still be around and still be playing and still be with a good team, contributing. But I owe a lot of that to just luck and playing with the right guys.”

Two of the guys Menk played with in Ginebra were Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa, both of whom are still with the franchise today. The two are also former PBA MVPs, and are also going to be included in the greatest players list.

“That would be a great honor just to be included with those other guys. Wow, that’s actually pretty cool,” said Helterbrand, a seven-time PBA All-Star and the league’s MVP back in 2009.

“Another championship would be icing on the cake [of my career], but this is up there as well,” the 38-year-old, four-time champion said.

Caguioa, on the other hand, was caught off guard when told of his inclusion to the list.

“I don’t know. I’m speechless. I never thought that I would be in there,” said Caguioa, who won the league’s Rookie of the Year award in 2001 and was crowned the MVP 11 years later.

“I’m just really surprised and thankful… I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say.” 

The Fast and the Furious

Helterbrand and Caguioa joined Ginebra during the turn of the 21st century and became instant favorites with the Barangay’s rabid fan base due to their athleticism, talent, and exciting style of play. The duo was given a couple of nicknames – notably “The Fast and the Furious” – and have played major roles for the championships Ginebra won over the past decade. 

Now nearing the twilight of their careers and about to enter the PBA’s most exclusive club, both Ginebra legends are pleased they will join the greatest players list together.

“That’s up there, man, cause me and him… we’ve been on the same team forever,” Helterbrand talked about how special it was that he and his long-time teammate are going to be honored at the same time.

“We basically got here at the same time. We also won our championships together, won all our awards together. And to be included in this list, for me, that would be one of the greatest honors that I think I could have and I’m sure he would say the same thing.”

“All our hard work just paid off,” Caguioa said about him and Helterbrand. “All we did back then when we were running this team, all we did was just, like I keep telling him, ‘Just ball out.’ You know what I mean? ‘Just keep playing hard and have that never say die attitude.'” 

“Up to now, we still have that. We still try to bring it to this team. So that’s all we want – na sana mahawa rin sala (hopefully they catch on too). That we keep this tradition from Coach Sonny [Jaworski], from us, and then to the guys that are playing now.”

Snubbed Beermen

After the PBA released the list of players that are going to considered the next batch of greatest players, there was instant backlash from some critics who thought notable former stars such as Danny Seigle, Nelson Asaytono, Dennis Espino, and others should have taken the spots of some of those who are going to be included in the greatest players club. 

Another name people keep throwing out there is Olsen Racela, who’s currently in the coaching staff of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and played 18 years in the PBA from 1993-2011.

Racela is considered a legend by some Beermen fans for the time he spent with San Miguel, during which he played a huge role as the team’s starting point guard leading them to numerous championships. Racela never won a league MVP or a Finals MVP award, but was a five-time All-Star and two-time member of the PBA Mythical First Team (2000, 2001). 

Kung hindi ako kasama, okay lang. Ganon talaga eh. Sana nalang nag MVP ako para masama ako,” Racela said when told his name wasn’t included in the list. 

(If I’m not included, it’s okay. That’s just how it is. If only I would have won an MVP award so I would have been included.) 

“I mean… just to be considered, it’s an honor already. But, of course, when you’re considered, it means you have a chance, so you’re hoping, diba?” 

Racela also vouched for his former running mate, Seigle, who never won a league MVP award either but was considered by some as one of the top players in the PBA during the prime of his career with the Beermen. 

SNUBBED? Despite being a dominant force in the PBA for a long time, Danny Seigle was left out of the 15 additions to PBA's greatest players list. Photo by Nuki Sabio/PBA Images

Some pundits even claim that Seigle should have been named both the Rookie of the Year and MVP in 1999, but received just the former. In his first season in the PBA, Seigle helped lead San Miguel to the Commissioner’s Cup and Governors’ Cup championships, winning the Finals MVP award in both occasions.

“Well, saakin lang, before me, mas deserving si Danny Seigle eh. Siya yung, feeling ko ha, na non-MVP na deserving to be there,” said Racela. 

(Just in my opinion, before me, Danny Seigle deserves to be included in the list. He is, in my opinion, the non-MVP who deserves to be there.) 

Ganon. Hindi kami nag MVP eh. Kung nag MVP sana kami, nanduon kami automatic. But, well yung committee naman they know what they’re doing. They’re composed of brilliant minds in Philippine basketball, so they have their own opinion.”

(We didn’t win MVP awards. If we did, we would have been automatically included in the list. But the committee knows what they’re doing.)

The select committee tasked with coming up with the 15 new members to the 40 greatest players list was composed of PBA legend Robert Jaworski, Freddie Webb, PBA Chairman Patrick Gregorio, Vice Chairman Robert Non, Congressman Elpido Barzaga, and media members Joaquin Henson and Barry Pascua. 

The committee used the following guidelines to come up with their decision:

Honorees must have played five full seasons in the league; must be a recipient of a major award; and must have made an impact with the sport and league. 

Rappler.com

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