Rain or Shine star attends first practice.
The Lee-thal Weapon is back in action.
Rain or Shine ace guard Paul Lee finally had his first practice session yesterday, nearly seven months after he had his third Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) procedure to repair a tear on his left knee.
Lee, who helped the Elasto Painters win the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup last May for their second franchise championship, was given the green light after he completed his rehabilitation and strengthening programs following the PRP.
“Maganda naman yung ensayo ko,” said Lee in a phone interview. “Walang pain, walang reklamo yung tuhod ko, so ibig sabihin maganda yung resulta ng third PRP na hopefully last na.”
Lee said that before joining the practice session, he initially had conditioning workouts and shooting drills to be able to prepare him for the grind and join his teammates as they start their campaign.
The season-ending conference of the pro league will start tomorrow, but the Painters will begin their campaign for back-to-back championships on Wednesday when they face Tropang TNT at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Rain or Shine will have as import Dior Lowhorn, who previously played for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (2013) and Globalport (2014) with career averages of 30.18 points and 11.24 rebounds per game.
ROS won the Commissioner’s Cup with import Pierre Henderson-Niles. Lee, returning from a second PRP midway in the elimination round, played a key role as he averaged almost 16 points in the finals against Alaska which ROS beat 4-2 in the seven-game series.
Lee said he is feeling much better, coming from a procedure that extracts and then injects Lee’s own blood to his ligaments for faster healing instead of open surgery to repair tears on both the lateral meniscus and ITB (Iliotibial band) tendon.
The former Rookie of the Year had his PRP weeks after ROS won its second championships after tests showed tear and unwarranted liquid on the damaged knee.
The injury forced him to beg off from Gilas Pilipinas which competed in the last Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“Siguro kung iku-kumpara ko yung balik ko ngayon doon sa dalawang naunang PRP ko, mas OK ngayon. Kasi yung basehan ko is yung after workout and after practice,” said Lee.
“Kung dati, ang pakiramdam ko e may tightness, may masakit, ngayon wala talaga; OK talaga yung tuhod ko. Saka nag-decide na ako mag-ensayo kasi OK na yung condition ko pati ang shooting. Yun ang mga naging basehan ko,” added Lee.