by JONAS TERRADO
San Miguel Beer’s Terrence Romeo is more concerned on trying to get the job done than prove critics wrong ahead of his first-ever PBA Finals appearance.
The long wait for a trip to the PBA’s grandest stage came to an end in the ongoing Philippine Cup when Romeo played a key role in the Beermen’s 4-1 semifinal victory over the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters.
Romeo will be among the players that will be put onto the spotlight when San Miguel battles Magnolia in a best-of-seven showdown which opens on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Di ako maglalaro sa finals para may ma-prove ako sa mga tao,” Romeo said after the Monday’s finals press conference held at Sambokojin in Eastwood City, Libis.
“Maglalaro ako sa finals para makatulong sa team at makuha goal namin,” added the multi-time scoring champion.
Making the finals has eluded Romeo since he was drafted in the first round by GlobalPort in 2013.
Romeo made just one semifinal appearance during his almost five-year stint with the Batang Pier that ended on a sour note when he and coach Pido Jarencio exchanged words during a quarterfinal match in 2018.
He was shortly traded to TNT where he was expected to play a major role in a star-studded KaTropa roster powered by Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario and Roger Pogoy.
But the KaTropa could only get as far as the quarterfinals during his two-conference stay with rumors of a rift between Romeo and several teammates surfacing.
San Miguel took a chance at having Romeo part of a talent-laden squad capable of winning a fifth straight crown, though skeptics saw him as a possible disruption.
June Mar Fajardo, though, said Romeo has been nothing but a major asset in the Beermen’s latest run to the finals.
“Sobrang proud kami sa kanya kasi nandun na yung maturity niya,” Fajardo said. “Di na siya yung noong dati na parang nakikipagaway siya, ngayon marunong na siya na parang di na siya pumapatol masyado sa away.”
Romeo could only hope that his first finals trip will result in a first PBA championship.
