By JONAS TERRADO
Stanley Pringle is grateful of his PBA beginnings after finally winning the championship as a major contributor of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s title run in the Governors’ Cup.
Pringle said his 4 1/2-year stint with the GlobalPort/NorthPort Batang Pier franchise gave him the opportunity to not only blossom as one of the league’s best players but also play an integral role in Ginebra’s victory over Meralco in the just-concluded Finals.
“Just playing with them at NorthPort the whole time really helped me grow in areas of my game,” Pringle said of his 4 1/2-year stint with the Batang Pier.
“I was definitely one of the scorers there, just like I am at Ginebra, just the fast-paced speed at NorthPort helped me get to Ginebra and kinda spark the fastbreak over there so that was definitely big,” added Pringle.
The speedy guard was the Batang Pier’s top overall pick in the 2014 Draft, eventually Rookie of the Year honors while forming a backcourt tandem with Terrence Romeo.
He made his only semifinal appearance for the Batang Pier during the 2016 Philippine Cup but lost in five games to the Alaska Aces.
His time at NorthPort ended last June when Pringle was shipped to Ginebra in exchange for Sol Mercado, Jervy Cruz and Kevin Ferrer.
The deal made Ginebra an even-stronger team, particularly at the backcourt position as Pringle became one of the orchestrators of the Ginebra attack.
Pringle showed why during the Finals, averaging 18.4 points on a .468 shooting clip with 6.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
But even after savoring the taste of lifting the championship trophy, Pringle couldn’t help but be reflective of his NorthPort comrades.
“Those are my brothers over there, still,” he said. “I just got traded here last conference so we still talk. Definitely, they have been nothing but a blessing to me as far as trying to win a championship.
“I wish them the best too. I know they gonna keep working hard, and they call me anytime they want.”
