The Terrafirma Dyip veteran has been a constant figure in the league.
There are a handful of factors to have longevity in the PBA: Good conditioning, indefatigable work ethic, and if your name is Robert Jaworski.
The average career span in the PBA isn’t long. There are a myriad of examples of players who were absolute killers in college but failed to extend their stay in the PBA.
Alex Cabagnot isn’t one of them. He will be entering his 19th season in the league when it opens its 48th campaign on November 5.
He’s the undisputed leader of the young Terrafirma Dyip, who are still looking for a breakthrough campaign. When he steps on the court for the first time in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, he will officially achieve an interesting milestone, as pointed out by former PBA star Mac Cardona.
"Ikaw na lang 'yung huli sa batch natin na naglalaro, 'di ba? Sheesh. Grabe ka naman," said Cardona when Cabagnot made a cameo in one of his recent vlogs.
Cabagnot was selected by the now-defunct Sta. Lucia Realtors as the second overall pick in the 2005 PBA Draft. He was a highly touted rookie out of the University of Hawaii-Hilo. He also broke the scoring records of former PBA MVP Mark Caguioa at Eagle Rock High School in Los Angeles.
As mentioned, The Crunchman is the only remaining active player from his batch, which included Cardona, Jay Washington, Larry Fonacier, Denok Miranda, Jondan Salvador, Niño Canaleta, Leo Najorda, and Mark Macapagal, to name a few.
The 40-year-old Dyip guard claimed in the vlog that their draft class is the best in PBA history. Captain Hook and his guest, Terrafirma team manager Ronald Tubid, however, disagreed.
"Excuse me, 2003, bro," said Tubid, who was drafted along with Jimmy Alapag, Mike Cortez, Harvey Carey, Cyrus Baguio, Rommel Adducul, Brandon Cablay, and Enrico Villanueva, among others.
"Feeling ko sila," added Cardona, pointing at The Saint.
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Cabagnot, who has won nine titles in the PBA, acknowledged that Cardona was one of the hardest guys he's defended, similar to what Tubid also said.
Now one of the "senior citizens" in the PBA, Cabaganot has always taken care of his body, even going vegan a few years back. It shows how dedicated he is to his profession, knowing full well that younger players could take his spot anytime.
Cabagnot might not be the player he used to be, but he can still hang with the best of them. Not many 40-year-olds can say that.