BRINGING in veteran Ranidel de Ocampo came in at a perfect time for the Meralco Bolts, who marched their way back to the championship round of the PBA Governors’ Cup and set up a rematch with defending champion Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.
But for Meralco head coach Norman Black, acquiring Mr. De Ocampo was a product of pure luck.
“We were just lucky,” Mr. Black told BusinessWorld. “We just heard Talk ’N Text is gonna move him so we inquired if we can acquire him. Somehow, we found a way to do that. Now we have him. “
A many-time national team member, former PBA Finals Most Valuable Player and a guy who has a rich championship experience, Mr. De Ocampo has a lot of things to bring on the table, according to Mr. Black.
“We talked about Ranidel’s ability to shoot as he’s one of the best floor spacers in the league, but he can also post up. Ranidel is a very good passer and is a very good rebounder for his size even at his age. He gives us more than just floor spacing. He’s the inbounder in the endgame because he makes the best decisions plus he’s a decent defender,” added Mr. Black.
Messrs. De Ocampo and Black found themselves reunited. They had their championship runs with Talk ’N Text before and the opportunity of winning another one is presented on these two gentlemen.
For Mr. De Ocampo, being back in the finals means another opportunity to win a big one.
“When I was with TNT, I remember Danny Seigle telling me that he wanted to win a championship before retiring for TNT. I could imagine because he’s been so long in the league. His chances of winning a title is very limited,” added Mr. De Ocampo. “I’m close to getting there, so it’s definitely a blessing for me to play for the championship. I just hope the opportunity won’t be wasted. I guarantee I won’t waste it.”
Getting to the championship round is sweeter for Mr. De Ocampo as he will be making his second consecutive finals appearance. Last conference, he also played in the finals when TNT reached the championship round but eventually lost to the San Miguel Beermen.
Not only is Mr. De Ocampo excited to play for the finals anew, he is also relishing this moment and sharing it with his old coach.
“I’m happy for the back-to-back finals appearance. This doesn’t happen all the time. This is also a big opportunity to play alongside Coach Norman (Black). He was responsible for bringing me here and I want to reward that trust and confidence he had given me,” added Mr. De Ocampo. – Rey Joble
