PBA legend Dondon Hontiveros set to coach 3×3 Cebu team

MANILA, Philippines – June Mar Fajardo. Greg Slaughter. Roger Pogoy.  

These are just some of the top players who are making names for themselves in the pro league and have also donned the national colors.

But before their splash here in the capital, they all started down south in Cebu.

That’s exactly the path the Cebu-Max4 Birada wants to tread as the team tries to make fellow Cebuanos proud in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 President’s Cup on Saturday, February 16, at the SM Megamall Events Center.

The best of the best from the Cebuano schools will don the team’s colors, with PBA legend Dondon Hontiveros calling the shots for the squad. 

“That’s our goal. In any tournament, you want to make a good impression,” shared Hontiveros, himself a three-time PBA and a one-time ABL champion.

CESAFI Most Valuable Player Rey Suerte leads the feisty Cebu squad where he will team up with University of Cebu’s Garciano Puerto Jr, USJ-R studs Fletcher Galvez and Nichole Ubalde, as well as Red Cachuela of SWU. 

It’s a new challenge for these Cebuanos as they test their mettle against a tough 12-team field. 

In the first leg, Cebu-Max4 is grouped with the Pasay Voyagers and the Vigan Wolves.

Yet for Hontiveros, he wouldn’t have it any other way as he wants to give these young stalwarts a chance to prove that they belong in the big leagues. 

“The competition in 3×3 is on another level. It’s really all out,” he said. “It’s difficult because we’re already logistically challenged. We’re just one of the two teams from the south, together with Zamboanga (Valientes), but no excuses. We’ll go there and fight as hard as we can.” 

The pride of representing the Queen City of the South also fuels these Cebuanos to do their best in the first-of-its-kind 3×3 league.

“We’ll try to do our best in representing Cebu. There’s a pride factor for us. There’s this opportunity. Even though they’ve already played in CESAFI, this is a whole new league.” – Rappler.com