Championship-hungry Reid looks back but moves forward

MANILA, Philippines – Arizona Reid closed his eyes, dropped his phone on one of the black and brown-painted tables at Coffee Bean, Megamall, and tilted his head up. Moments later, his eyes opened as he clenched his fists parking it slightly below his chin. He shook his head in repetition. A smile formed on his lips. But it wasn’t just any smile; it was one of eagerness and excitement.

Or maybe, the exhaustion from lack of sleep was just finally getting to him. After all, he hasn’t had much shuteye leading up to the PBA Governors’ Cup, where, safe to say, a lot is on the line for the five-time PBA import. 

“I’m telling you, I got a lot on me, man,” Reid said, as his voice barely escaped through his gritting teeth. 

He brought his head back down, looked the writer he was conversing with straight in the eyes as he was asked how badly he wants to be a PBA champion, and responded, “I’m hungry,” 

But it wasn’t because of the smell from the muffins and sandwiches being indulged on by civilians on the next table. It wasn’t from the leftover aroma of the vanilla latte that was just finished by the man in front of him.

“I can taste it,” he said about what he was craving for. Something non-edible, but certainly more precious. Something some PBA players has never tasted in their careers. “I can taste it. I can’t sleep because I want to win so bad. I can’t sleep. I gotta take sleep medicine, man. I can’t sleep.” 

It’s been a few weeks since Arizona Reid last wore his San Miguel uniform. But today (May 6, Tuesday), he finally gets to put on the colors of the Beermen again. He’s dreamt about doing so since after his first conference in the PBA. He’s always wanted it, even during his time as a Rain or Shine Elasto Painter.

“I always wanted to go to San Miguel. This has been my dream, to come to San Miguel.”

Reid’s hunger for a title is immeasurable. He wants to ride off to the sunset after the PBA Governors’ Cup, title at hand, knowing he’s achieved it all in the Philippines, a place he’s come to love; a country he’s come to call his “second home.”

He has his storybook ending in mind. But before getting there, he’s aware of the work he and his teammates have ahead of them.

He wants it to end on his terms.

Reid goes from Painter to Beerman

Most imports are fortunate to be called for a second-go with the team they played for in the past. A third year with the same organization is rare. Reid had the opportunity with the Elasto Painters. They didn’t win a title, but came close twice.

But even he knew, after the 2014 Governors’ Cup, that a fourth round with Yeng Guiao and company was not going to happen.

“I wasn’t coming back anyway,” said Reid. “I didn’t want to go back to Rain or Shine. I felt like my time was done.”

Reid believed he had done everything he could for the Elasto Painters.

“I can’t win there… you know, once you’ve been with someone for a long time, you just outgrow it. 

But said he remains grateful to the organization saying, “I’m thankful for the opportunity. I speak very highly of the organization,”

He even referred the Elasto Painters’ import for the upcoming conference, Wendell McKines, to the franchise.

Reid knew San Miguel was interested in him last season, but since Rain or Shine had his release papers and decided to bring him back, he had to suit up for the Elasto Painters.

But the interest to play for the Beermen (when they were known as Petron) stems all the way back to the 2011 Governors’ Cup, his first tour of duty with Rain or Shine.

“I saw the pieces and said, If I play with them, I would destroy this league. I’m here and like I said, I’m very thankful,” said Reid.

San Miguel contacted Reid while he was in Belgium in January, offering what he’s wanted for the longest time. He had to wait two to 3 weeks before the Elasto Painters granted him his release, but when they finally did, it eliminated the final roadblock of him becoming a Beerman, and he was ecstatic.

“This is it. This is where I want to be. This is the dream team. I don’t think you get to get what you what. But I got this opportunity, man. Like I said, I’m very thankful.”

Reid couldn’t hide his excitement.

“For them to contact me and think about it, they always get NBA imports. For them to want me out of everybody – they can get a lot of betters players, I would say – it’s a great privilege, man.”

He is aware of the high expectations on the team and believes he is more than ready for it.

“I’m hungry. That’s the only thing I don’t have in this country – a championship. I’ve been so close. So close.”

Teaming up with the Beermen

Reid is no stranger to the PBA. He’s played for two teams and is about to see action in his fifth conference. He’s won two Best Import awards and has put up more than enough explosive performances to warrant the praise for his individual brilliance.

But what’s not always noticeable is a player’s willingness to sacrifice individual greatness for the betterment of his team.

There have been more than enough reports of spoiled imports that come to the PBA, expecting adversaries and teammates to conform to their talents and demands. But there have also been imports who are selfless, hard-working athletes who earn, rather than demand, the respect of comrades and opponents.

Reid belongs in the latter. Sure, he might not be in a great place with his old head coach as of the moment, but many of his acquaintances in the PBA praise his skill and professionalism.

Reid doesn’t only think San Miguel can be great. He believes they will be.

“When you have these types of players around you, it makes my job much easier,” said Reid, talking about a Beermen squad that won the PBA title just two conferences ago.

“Everybody can go. Even Ronald Tubid is tough to guard. Alex Cabagnot is tough to guard. [Chris] Lutz is tough to guard. [Marcio] Lassiter. Chris Ross is tough to guard… I respect their games to the fullest.”

“It’s been great. I can’t complain one bit,” he said. “Great group of guys. Everybody’s focused. We expect nothing less than a good conference ahead of us. I’m just happy to be in this situation; to be in such a talented team.”

But that doesn’t mean he won’t be hard on his teammates. A player striving for greatness demands the same from his allies. It’s nothing personal; just all part of the process to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a PBA title.

If he has to call someone out for lackadaisical play, regardless of who it is, he’ll do what needs to be done. During a tune-up game with the Alaska Aces a few weeks back, Reid was placed in that exact situation and did what he felt was necessary.

“When we played Alaska, June Mar [Fajardo] didn’t get back [on defense]. He didn’t get back in transition so the other guy got a layup.”

“I said, ‘June Mar, get back.’”

“Listen, I’m here for one thing. I’m not here to make best friends. I’m here to win games and a championship. I’m going to be a teammate, but I’m also going to be a goddamn tough one, because I know how hard I’m going to play.”

Fajardo, 25, is the reigning PBA MVP, someone who’s averaging 17.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game this season and is regarded as the future of Philippine basketball. But that didn’t stop the 29-year-old Reid from bellowing at his teammate for a self-imposed mistake, in a tune-up game no less.

“I know what he can do, so I’m going to hold him super-high accountable,” said Reid. “I call him Shaq (in reference to NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal). June Mar works hard. He gets after it. He works hard.

We’re starving. We’re starving. You can see it in practice,” Reid said about his teammates. “We’re getting at each other hard. When I see my teammates not doing something, oh I’m sure going to let them know, just like when you see me not doing well, yell at me, I can take it, because I’m going to give it to you.

I don’t feel like nobody in the league can match up with us,” Reid added about his Beermen. “I have June Mar, the most dominant Filipino I’ve ever seen. And we have a lot of good pieces around him.”

San Miguel also has a terrific coach in Leo Austria, who helped turn the Beermen from a team that had a stream of disappointing playoff eliminations in the 2013-2014 season to a champion in this season’s Philippine Cup.

The Beermen failed to show up in their first few games in the Commissioner’s Cup, losing their first 4 games. Some blame falls on Austria for that, but he should still be the choice of the franchise as its leader on the bench moving forward.

“I think he’s doing a great job of getting us in shape,” Reid said of his head coach. “He’s just a big, big, big brother to the team.”

“We talked every day before and after practice for 20, 30 minutes. I never had a full conversation in three [conferences] with Coach Yeng [Guiao], so, you know, that means a lot to me.”

“I believe in him. He believes in me.”

Reid vs Guiao 

Reid played 7 games in the Philippine Cup with San Miguel, averaging 29.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists a game and leading his club to 4 wins. One of those victories came against his former team Rain or Shine. Reid finished with 41 points as his club won 129-114, but the action that really caught attention took place late in the fourth period between him and his former coach.

Both guys were involved in verbal altercations throughout the contest, much to the surprise of many who assumed their relationship was okay after three conferences together.

After earning a technical foul due to the comments he threw Reid’s way, Guiao was eventually ejected from the game after throwing a slight forearm nudge at his former import on a side out of bounds play.

“I would never step out of my character. That’s why in the game where he elbowed me or whatever, I just walked away. That’s not what I’m about. He can get mad at the media. Coach Yeng said every time I made a three, I would look at him. Which three? I made 4 of them back to back,” said Reid.

“I said some stuff back, but that’s after 4 quarters of him yelling at me and telling me you sorry, this and that. I said what I said. It doesn’t matter, man. You know Coach Yeng. He tried it, it didn’t work.”

The media eagerly anticipated Guiao’s press conference after the game to get his side of what transpired, but the information he revealed was more surprising than expected.

“Siguro yung situation namin – dating kakampi namin, tapos kalaban namin, tapos may, hindi ko alam, kung may tampo siya na rine-lease namin siya, hindi namin siyang kinuha,” said Guiao, who said Reid also trash-talked the Elasto Painters bench throughout the contest.

(I guess it’s because of our situation – he was our teammate before, and now he’s our opponent. I guess he’s feeling bad that we released him and that we didn’t bring him back to be our import).

Guiao mentioned the 2014 Governors’ Cup Finals where he felt Reid, who suffered a bad ankle sprain, didn’t give the necessary effort to help the team win.

“I’ve heard a lot about Game 5,” said Reid, responding to his former coach’s claim. “However, there’s one person that can vouch for me: JD. That’s the team physician for Rain or Shine. [In] Game 4, I go up for a rebound, I come down on somebody’s foot. I was running. There was a time-out. I was walking back to the bench and I stopped. I sat in front of the scorer’s table. I took my shoe off. JD came up and said, ‘You alright?’ I said, ‘JD, my ankle.’”

“I said, ‘JD, I hurt something.’ So after the game, we go to the locker room, my ankle swells up. It’s like I got the size of something less smaller than a tennis ball on the side of my foot. What can I do? I mean, have you ever sprained your ankle? It was a bad sprain. It’s like, I’m limping.”

“Listen, I was crying tears in that game,” Reid said about Game 5, where Rain or Shine suffered their third finals defeat in their last five appearances, and second that season to San Mig Coffee, who completed their quest for a Grand Slam.

“Tears. My ankle was hurting that bad. I was shooting free throws and tears were running down my face. That hurt me.”

When I read those articles on Coach Yeng, that crushed me. Saying I didn’t give my all… for somebody to say that, for him to say that, it was kind of like I’m a little two-year-old in the mall with my dad and he takes off running and I can’t find him because the mall’s too big. You get what I’m saying? It just felt like… damn.”

Reid won’t deny being affected by the claims of his former head coach or of what’s being said about his departure from the Elasto Painters. But despite what has transpired, the South Carolina native is still thankful for the opportunity he received from Rain or Shine – without which he would not have his current job.

“I’m a professional basketball player. I don’t hold grudges. If he (Guiao) feels that way… this is what I would tell him: ‘Thank you for the opportunity. I really appreciate it.’

It’s nothing personal. I go back to it again: I’m thankful for the opportunity. I’m thankful for the three years. They were great. Because without them three years of playing at Rain or Shine, AZ wouldn’t be in San Miguel. So that’s why I’m so thankful for Rain or Shine.”

Calling it quits in the PBA

Health-permitting, basketball players usually call it quits in their late 30s. Some play to their 40s. Rarely do they hang up their sneakers in their late 20s as long as they’re either still performing at a high level or making considerable amount of income.

The last two apply to Reid, which has made many wonder about reports of his planned retirement should the Beermen win the Governors’ Cup. He may be getting up there in age, but the stat sheets show he can still compete with the best imports the PBA has to offer. He’s talked about how much he loves playing in this small but basketball-crazed nation. If the opportunity presents itself again, why not return for a sixth conference?

Reid laughed before crossing his arms together and splitting them apart in succession.

Just like this: 

“I’m done,” he said, talking about how it would be like if he finally gets the championship he’s been coveting for years.

“I don’t know about [retiring from] basketball in general, but sure from the PBA,” he said, and then mentioned going out on top, as a champion, would be his ideal way of closing his career.

“If I win a championship, I have it all. I want this bad. I think about this all day long. I think about just winning that championship. I know if I win it, I’ll be crying like a baby. I want this bad.” 

Reid wants to spend more time with his new-born 9-month-old son and 4-year-old daughter Ariana, and if he does retire, he plans on focusing on the gas station he owns in South Carolina and a nail salon he and his girlfriend own in Florida.

Reid has played pro ball in Switzerland, Lebanon, Germany (where he won a championship), Saudi Arabia, and Finland. But none of those countries, he says, can compare to playing in the Philippines.

“The excitement. The drama. The fans. The media,” he enumerates, comparing the PBA to the NBA. “It feels like you’re in the league, man. When you go outside, you take pictures with hundreds of fans.”

And in other countries?

“You might take two pictures the whole year.”

But the former Best Import awardee said only two people can talk him into returning for a 6th conference.

“The only way is if two people talk to me,” he said. “If boss Robert [Non] or [Ramon Ang] tells me to come back, I would. You know why? I owe them. Cause they gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. They changed my life and they don’t even know it.” 

But for now, the goal is clear for the Reid, Fajardo, and these Beermen. They’re hunting for their 21st title.

– Rappler.com