by Jonas Terrado
San Miguel Beer’s Terrence Romeo was more concerned on trying to get the job done than prove his critics wrong when his first-ever PBA Finals appearance began last night.
The long wait for a trip to the PBA’s grandest stage was finally realized when Romeo played a key role in the Beermen’s 4-1 semifinal victory over the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters.
Romeo was among the players expected to share the limelight when San Miguel battled Magnolia in a best-of-seven showdown that started at presstime 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.
