It was a chance encounter between him and one of the best guards in league history.
Before Justin Brownlee of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Allen Durham of the Meralco Bolts, there was another resident import in the PBA that fans grew to love: Marqus Blakely.
The reinforcement dubbed as Mr. Everything helped the San Mig Coffee Mixers complete a rare grand slam in 2014 and went on to play for the franchise until 2016.
He was known for his tenacity on both ends and his serious competitiveness.
Blakely had brief stints with the TNT KaTropa in 2018 and the Blackwater Elite in 2019 before finally bidding the PBA goodbye.
ALSO READ: Finest imports the PBA Governors’ Cup has seen
At 35 years old, he's currently a coach at LA PRO, a San Fernando-based youth basketball organization.
On Thursday, he got reunited with a very familiar face at the Crypto .com Arena in Los Angeles: Jimmy Alapag.
Blakely and Alapag locked horns one too many times in the PBA. This time, though, they're simply enjoying their time on the court.
Alapag was at the venue as the Sacramento Kings, where he serves as a player development coach, battled the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings won, 125-110.
“From the PBA to the NBA. Great seeing @mygi22 here in LA,” Alapag, also a many-time PBA champion with TNT and a Gilas Pilipinas icon, wrote in his Instagram Story.
It's always nice to see former PBA players still chopping it up after all these years.
Alapag has seen plenty of visitors in recent months, with his former longtime teammate Harvey Carey also dropping by in one of the Kings' games.
(PM)