MERALCO center/forward Reynel Hugnatan could make history in the coming PBA Awards Night.
At 42 years old, he would go down as the oldest ever to win the Most Improved Player award if he beats in the balloting five other contenders for the special plum.
Others in the running for the award are Barangay Ginebra's Prince Caperal, Phoenix Pulse's Justin Chua and Jason Perkins, Rain or Shine's Javee Mocon and NLEX's Raul Soyud.
Mocon is 25, Caperal 27, Perkins 28, Soyud 29 and Chua 31.
Since the league first handed the award in 1983 to Terry Saldana of Toyota Super Corollas, the oldest to emerge MIP winners were Dante Gonzalgo and KG Canaleta both at 31.
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Gonzalgo won it in 1989 as an Anejo Rum 65er while Canaleta bagged it in 2013 as an Air21 Express.
Rey Cuenco, also of Anejo Rum, was third oldest to win it at 30 years of age in 1990.
The rest of the previous MIP winners gained the accolade in their 20s.
Saldana was the youngest at 21, followed by Alvin Teng at 23 in 1988, Vergel Meneses at 24 in 1993 and Mark Telan also at 24 in 2000.
Hugnatan emerged as contender in playing a key role in the Meralco Bolts' breakthrough semifinal finish in the PBA Philippine Cup bubble tourney in Clark.
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The University of Manila alum logged averages of 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.33 assists in his 17th PBA season since his rookie year as Coca-Cola's No. 9 pick overall in 2003. (SB)
