By Waylon Galvez
At one point in the fourth quarter, Phoenix Pulse Fuel forward Calvin “The Beast” Abueva raised his right arm before flexing his muscles in front of Columbian Dyip rookie CJ Perez.
That was a statement move.
Abueva was not boasting. It was his normal game which most PBA fans love to see from one of the celebrated players of the league.
He did trash-talk the player labeled as the “Baby Beast”.
But he did it not to intimidate his “junior” but more on to motivate to bring his level of game a notch higher.
To the delight of their supporters, Abueva gave Perez a brotherly hug as the Phoenix Fuel Masters stopped the Dyip, 108-98, in the 44th PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We talked… there’s nothing personal,” said Abueva after the game. “I told him to improve his game. I can’t suggest anything on what he should do because we’re not teammates, we’re from opposing teams.”
“But outside the court, I consider him as a brother. There’s nothing personal,” Abueva added.
The comparison started when Perez started his collegiate career with the San Sebastian Stags, a team Abueva led to the NCAA championship in 2009 and where he won his MVP award in 2011 before he joined the PBA as the No. 2 overall pick of Alaska in 2012.
The 6-foot-2 Perez left SSC after two seasons.
He was supposed to play for Ateneo in the UAAP, but academic issues forced him to return in the NCAA with Lyceum, and helped the Pirates to two finals stints and won the MVP in 2017.
Last year, Columbian Dyip picked Perez with the top overall pick during the PBA Rookie Draft. In his professional debut, he scored 26 points in a stunning 124-118 win against defending champion San Miguel Beer.
Perez was limited to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field, while Abueva – in comparison – finished with 16 points on 12-of-14 free throws after he made 2-of-10 from the perimeter.
Abueva said that it’s still a long way for them to be compared at this level.
