MANILA – San Miguel Beermen center June Mar Fajardo and Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters’ Calvin Abueva will not be part of their respective teams in the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup restart in Clark, Pampanga on Oct. 11.
Beermen head coach Leo Austria confirmed that the five-time PBA MVP awardee Fajardo was excluded of their drive for sixth straight All-Filipino conference title as he is still recovering from shin injury.
“June Mar will not play in the bubble. Besides kung puwede naman talaga, hindi pa rin siya paglalaruin,” Austria said in an interview with ONE PH’s Sports Page. “Preparation is very important.”
According to Austria, the six-foot-nine Fajardo has yet to get a doctor’s clearance with his ongoing rehabilitation.
The Fuel Masters, on the other hand, was disallowed from inserting Abueva from its 15-man roster with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial not yet lifting the indefinite suspension slapped on the veteran forward.
“After clarifying, because of Calvin’s current status, we can only submit a 24-man lineup at the moment,” Fuel Masters team manager Paolo Bugia said. “We are still awaiting final word from the PBA and still hopeful a decision will come before the opening.”
Meanwhile, four NLEX Road Warriors players, including veterans Larry Fonacier and Cyrus Baguio, opted not to join their team in the “PBA Bubble” due to “personal reasons.”
Fonacier was allowed not to join the Road Warriors since his wife has health issues while Baguio noted the NLEX management that it was a “family decision” same goes with two other NLEX guards in Kyles Lao and rookie Amiel Soberano.
