THANKS to The Last Dance premiere, old PBA fans remembered a touch of NBA greatness brought to the PBA by 1998 NBA champion team member Scott Burrell.
Recommended then by US-based Filipino Sam Unera, the Red Bull Barakos took a chance talking to Burrell and were lucky to get his nod to fly over to the Philippines, five years after waltzing with the Bulls in their sixth title run in eight years.
The New Haven, Connecticut native was one of a handful of NBA champion players to bring their stuff over to the PBA. Others in memory include the Boston Celtics' Glenn McDonald (U-Tex) and David Thirdkill (Tanduay, Purefoods), and the LA Lakers' Wes Matthews (Barangay Ginebra).
In his PBA stint at age 32, Burrell came down in a roster of imports that included another NBA big name in Cedric Ceballos, who came in, though, as just a shell of his lethal form.
But not Burrell; he with his feathery shooting touch.
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"We made a good run but we came up short as he got injured in the playoffs," said coach Yeng Guiao as he remembered coaching Burrell with the Barakos in the 2003 PBA Reinforced Conference.
"Hindi siya power player; more of a finesse. Although he had the body, he's a perimeter player, not an inside power player. Pero karamihan noon brusko na imports," Guiao further recalled.
But mixing well with the Red Bull locals including Willie Miller, Rico Villanueva, Topex Robinson, Lordy Tugade, Junthy Valenzuela, Jimwell Torion, Mick Pennisi and Davonn Harp, the eight-year NBA veteran led the way in a 10-game roll that made the Barakos the playoffs top seeds.
Along the way, he shared stories with the great Michael Jordan.
"He's a fun-loving guy. We had fond memories of him," said Guiao.
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Then came the injury.
"Nag-dip ang laro niya, but he didn't want to admit being injured. Parang ayaw niya to have it checked. Hesitant siya, kahit kitang-kita na," said Guiao. "And he insisted he could play."
They then were bowled over by the Damien Cantrell-led Talk n Text Phone Pals in the best-of-three quarterfinals in the tourney eventually topped by the Coca-Cola Tigers who won over the San Miguel Beermen in a stretch-out best-of-seven finale.
Coca-Cola's Artemus McClary emerged as the Best Import winner from among a roster including 2001 winner Damien Owens of Sta. Lucia and future Best Import awardee Rosell Ellis.
The other imports were Alaska's Chris Carrawell then Isaan Fontaine, Ginebra's Ricky Price, FedEx's Terrence Shannon, Purefoods' Harold Arceneaux then Lenny Cooke, SMB's Shea Seals then Eric Dailey and Kwan Johnson, Shell's Sedric Webber, Tim Breaux then Jamal Kendrick, Sta. Lucia's Nate James before Owens then Raymond Tutt.
It would long be remembered as a tourney featuring one of MJ's key subs before the fall of the Chicago Bulls dynasty.(SB)
