MANILA, Philippines – Whether the issue regarding several Rain or Shine players asking to be traded is true or not, Elasto Painters head coach Caloy Garcia made it clear that to be traded, one must perform well. 

“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, we just have to be professional about it and put the effort because ang nagbabayad naman talaga sa salary nila is ‘yung owners and that’s the only way that we can repay them,” said Garcia during the post-game presser of Rain or Shine’s 90-84 win over the Meralco Bolts on Friday, February 2.

(I told them that we just have to be professional about it and put the effort because the ones who pay their salary are the team owners, and that’s the only way we can repay them.)

“Mahirap naman i-trade ‘yung player na hindi mo rin makukuha ‘yung gusto mo. The only way you can be traded is if you play good, because if you play good, you can get something na maganda kapalit.”

(It is hard to trade a player if you cannot get what you want in return. The only way a player can be traded is if you play good, because if you play good, the team can get something good in return.)

Garcia shot down rumors that Raymond Almazan, Beau Belga, and Jericho Cruz, contrary to earlier reports, are demanding trades, although he believes that Cruz wants to reunite with former coach Yeng Guiao, who is now the tactician of the NLEX Road Warriors. 

“Good terms kami ni Raymond. Si Beau, matagal na yang isyu na ‘yan, years ago pa ‘yan.” (Raymond and I are in good terms. About Beau, that issue goes years back.)

“Si Jericho naman, he really wants, I think, to go back to coach Yeng, which is, sabi ko ‘This is a job, you have to love your job, you have to play hard,'” Garcia added.  (Jericho really wants, I think, to go back to coach Yeng. I told him, “This is a job, you have to love your job, you have to play hard.”)

Trade rumors aside, Garcia is glad to see his guys step up as Rain or Shine remained at the upper echelon of the league, tying the TNT KaTropa at 4th place with a 4-3 card.

The E-Painters will try to extend their winning streak to 3 in a row as they face top seed Magnolia Hotshots on February 10. 

“I just have to think more of the team rather than who we play against. Kung maganda naman ang samahan namin, maganda rin ‘yung kalabasan,” Garcia said. (I just have to think more of the team rather than who we play against. If we bond well, we also play well.) – Rappler.com