By Waylon Galvez
Rain or Shine superstar James Yap took his first practice yesterday and said he was still rusty.
“Kung 1-10… siguro nasa 5 lang,” Yap said laughing in a phone interview. “In terms of game shape, yes 5. Sabi ko nga maski na nagpa-condition naman and ginawa lahat to stay in shape, iba yung ensayo ka talaga in preparation sa balik PBA. Kumbaga talagang kalawang.”
The 38-year-old Yap was in Milano Marittima, Italy with fiancée Michela Cazzola, their son Michael James and daughter Francesca Michelle for three months since June.
But Yap, who came back only last Sept. 4, is confident he can regain his fighting form in time for the planned bubble in Clark, Pampanga next month.
League officials, led by Commissioner Willie Marcial, are hoping they can resume the season on Oct. 9.
Yap, a member of the 40 Greatest Players in the PBA, said he needs only couple of weeks to regain his once deadly touch from afar.
“Ilang weeks lang naman basta tuloy tuloy lang sa ensayo. Mababalik naman natin yung game shape. Saka ako, sa akin kasi yung game shape sa laro na nakukuha yun,” said Yap, who was with Mark Borboran and Sidney Onwubere during training at the Reyes gym in Mandaluyong City.
“From 5, maka-8 ako sa start ng PBA, doon ko na hahabulin sa ‘bubble’ yung kundisyon ko na makuha yung game shape. Pero masaya na nakabalik na ako sa ensayo ng team.”
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine deputy team manager Jireh Ibanes said that Fil-Am playmaker Kris Rosales will also be joining the cluster of Borboran, Onwubere and Yap for the 8-9 a.m. practice session.
Rosales recently completed his 14-day quarantine and had two negative swab test results following his return from the United States.
“Kris will be joining the team tomorrow since he already got his swab results,” Ibanes said in a text message.
