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[av_heading heading=’ BUZZER BEATER End of road for ‘The Raging Bull’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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AFTER playing for almost 14 seasons with at least seven teams in the PBA, NLEX Road Warriors big man Jose Enrico Villanueva has decided to hang his basketball sneakers for good.
Road Warriors head coach Yeng Guiao said that recurring injuries forced the former national men’s basketball team mainstay to retire from basketball for good at 37.
“The only problem now na patapos siya, he couldn’t get back into game shape because nagre-recur na iyong mga injuries niya. So talagang tinapos na lang niya iyong season na ito,” Guiao said.
“But it would have been better if he was able to play and he was healthy. Iyon lang, ang problema niya the last few months was that maybe his body was giving up on him already. So that’s really the time to call it quits and enjoy the rest of his life,” he added.
Dubbed as “The Raging Bull,” Villanueva started his PBA career with Red Bull franchise in 2003 under Guiao before suiting up for San Miguel Beermen, Purefoods, Barangay Ginebra, GlobalPort Batang Pier, Air21 Express, and Road Warriors.
The former Ateneo Blue Eagles star had his best years while playing for Guiao in Red Bull where he won a championship, a Best Player of the Conference citation and a PBA Finals MVP trophy.
“It’s been a privilege coaching him when he’s started and when he’s ending,” said Guiao. “He’s created a lot of good memories especially when we’re together at Red Bull.”
“He’s financially stable so we don’t have to worry about Rico, we don’t have to worry that he won’t be able to take care of himself,” he added. “I think he still wants to get involved in basketball, maybe in another capacity.”
Decimated already by the absence of big man Anthony Washington, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will once again be one man short when it faces TNT KaTropa in a do-or-die quarterfinals match tonight.
Painters head coach Carlos Garcia said star guard James Yap will once again be unavailable tonight due to a hamstring injury he sustained during the team’s practice recently.
“I think he’ll be able to make it if we go to the semifinals,” said Garcia. “But for Friday’s game, malabo pa siya. Iyong hamstring niya, pero wala naman tear. It’s just minor.”
Even with the absence of the Negrense cager, Painters still scored a 106-102 win over KaTropa on Wednesday evening that set up a winner-take-all encounter for the last semis seat.
Aside from import J’Nathan Bullock, veteran locals Gabe Norwood, Raymond Almazan, Maverick Ahanmisi, Chris Tiu, and Celedonio Trollano have stepped up their game for the No. 7 Painters.
“Like I said, we’re more of a team and we’ll try to develop it,” Garcia said. “Nice thing with James is he’s confident with his teammates. But, of course, we will still need his veteran presence if ever we will reach the semis.”/PN
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