Jimmy Alapag to come out of retirement, will join Meralco after trade

MANILA, Philippines – PBA legend Jimmy Alapag is set to come out of retirement and join the Meralco Bolts after the PBA Commissioner’s Office approved a trade involving 3 teams on Friday, August 7.

The trade will see Alapag dealt from his now former team, the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters, to the Bolts in a transaction that also includes the Blackwater Elite. 

Talk ’N Text receives Larry Rodriguez in the trade while Blackwater attains Mike Cortez and James Sena from Meralco.

The deal was confirmed to Rappler by Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo.

“He wants to come back,” Trillo said about Alapag. “He wants to play. He feels he has one or two years left. He feels he can help our team.”

Trillo also said, “He (Alapag) won’t be playing the same minutes as before but he’s hoping to help mentor the younger guys and share his leadership.”

Alapag retired after 12 years in the league – all with Talk ’N Text – in February 2015 and took over as the franchise’s team manager. 

“I think every player, sooner or later, has to see the end of the road. And I don’t think you ever really know when that day will come…for me, the time is now. I’m very fortunate to have been with the Talk ‘N Text company, franchise, and family for my career,” Alapag said during his retirement press conference. 

In the 2013-2014 PBA season, he averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 assists a game.

Under the first year of new head coach Norman Black, the Bolts made the playoffs in each PBA conference last season. In the Commissioner’s Cup, they were able to get to the semifinal round where they fell to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Rodriguez played 10 games for the Elite last season, averaging 3.5 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. 

In 41 games with the Bolts last season, Cortez averaged 6.6 points and 2.9 assists a game, while Sena averaged 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 25 games. – Rappler.com