MANILA, Philippines – After all, the PBA is still a business.

Javee Mocon said he harbored no hard feelings towards Rain or Shine – his team for three years – after the Elasto Painters traded him to the Phoenix Fuel Masters following a months-long contract stalemate.

The forward sat out when Rain or Shine kicked off the Philippine Cup with a 79-77 win over the Converge FiberXers and only debuted on Wednesday, June 8, as Phoenix absorbed a 100-108 loss to the San Miguel Beermen.

“[Rain or Shine] drafted me. They were there during the pandemic. It is a business,” said Mocon in a mix of Filipino and English. “I have no ill feelings towards the management.”

“I love the players and the coaches there.”

For Mocon, he is just glad to finally be back in action as he decided to suit up for the Fuel Masters despite having only two days of practice with the team since the trade.

Mocon put up 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block in under 20 minutes of play.

“As a competitive player, you want to play at a high level. This kind of competitive game is what I missed. I’m happy,” said the 27-year-old.

“I’m looking forward to see how far we can go.”

At Phoenix, Mocon also yearns to learn from Fuel Masters star Matthew Wright and coach Topex Robinson, a familiar figure during his collegiate years.

He went up against Robinson in the NCAA finals twice when he still played for San Beda while the Phoenix mentor coached Lyceum.

“Matthew Wright is Matthew Wright. We all saw how he leads by example and he is very vocal. If I can mirror my game after him, why not? It is a good thing that I can pick his brain, how he plays, how he practices,” Mocon said.

The Fuel Masters look to crack the winning column as they tangle with the Meralco Bolts on Saturday, June 11, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. – Rappler.com