MANILA, Philippines – Receiving no calls from former team Alaska in the past two PBA Governors’ Cup, Romeo Travis seeks to complete his unfinished business with new squad Magnolia.

The former Best Import eyes to give the Hotshots what he had failed to provide for the Aces after they were swept by San Miguel in the 2015 finals of the season-ending conference. 

“I wanted to come back with Alaska, to be honest. But for two years they chose someone else when I was available,” Travis told reporters after his Hotshots debut where he keyed a 102-72 thrasing of NLEX on Wednesday, August 22. 

It was the Hotshots who gave the 33-year-old a call-up, and thanks to their finals appearance in the Philippine Cup a few months ago, Travis considered returning to the league for the first time in three years. 

“They showed that they had good players here and that is why I wanted to come back. And just come back and fight for a championship,” he said. 

To this day, Travis admits that 2015 finals loss still stings.

After all, the Aces finished the elimination round with a league-best 8-3 record and defeated the Beermen, 82-77, along the way. 

With Travis, Alaska breezed through the playoffs and went unbeaten heading into the finals – beating Ginebra in the quartefinals and sweeping Magnolia in the semifinals – and were primed to give San Miguel a good fight for the crown.

However, the Beermen – led by import Arizone Reid and Finals Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo – quickly finished off the Aces in 4 games of the best-of-7 affair. 

“The way we finished when I was with Alaska in 2015, that stuck with me for many years. That still sticks with me. I didn’t play well when my team needed me the most. That’s pretty much why we lost,” he said. 

Coming off a championship in France’s top-tier league LNB Pro A with the Le Mans Sarthe Basket earlier this year, Travis sure wants to duplicate his success with Magnolia, which last won the Governors’ Cup title in 2014. 

Travis and the Hotshots aim for their second straight win when they square off against NorthPort on September 1 at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com