All good things must come to an end they say.
LA Tenorio's Iron Man streak is over at 744 games.
On Wednesday, the 38-year-old veteran sat out the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ game against old rivals Meralco Bolts after aggravating his hernia during Ginebra’s week-long break. Tinyente sustained his injury on January 8 in Game 5 of the Commissioner’s Cup Finals against the Bay Area Dragons. Tenorio left that game, with his injury initially diagnosed as a groin strain.
The three-time Finals MVP would go on to play Games 6 and 7 of that classic Finals series, albeit on a strict minutes watch. The Gin Kings ultimately won the title in front of a raucous crowd of 54,589 at the Philippine Arena, but with Tenorio severely limited in the last two games.
Tenorio also played in Ginebra’s first six games this Governors’ Cup, but only for spot minutes—ostensibly so he can keep his career-long streak alive. But it was clear the veteran playmaker was hurting and his movement severely limited due to his injury.
Tinyente’s Iron Man streak began way back in 2006 when he entered the PBA as a first round draft pick of the San Miguel Beermen, fourth overall. He got traded to the Alaska Aces (now the Converge FiberXers) in 2008, where he played the full four seasons. Tenorio was then shipped to Ginebra in 2012, where he just kept adding to his streak.
That streak is now over—but it was incredible while it lasted.