RJ Abarrientos to Ginebra as the no. 3 pick of the PBA Season 49 Draft.
Big man or point guard?
Point guard it is for coach TIm Cone and Brgy. Ginebra.
RJ Abarrientos is set to be a Gin King after being selected third overall in the PBA Season 49 Draft Sunday.
Ginebra selected RJ, the 2022 KBL Rookie of the Year, with the pick the team acquired in the blockbuster deal with Terrafirma that also involved Stephen Holt, Isaac Go, Christian Standhardinger, and Stanley Pringle.
[Related: Blockbuster trade: Ginebra gets Stephen Holt, Isaac Go from Terrafirma for Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle]
The Gin Kings were originally slated to pick 10th in round 1 before sending that selection to the Dyip as part of the deal.
The PBA will be Abarrientos’ third stop in three seasons. After his historic KBL season, he spent last year in Japan’s B.League with the Shinshu Brave Warriors.
RJ is not part of today’s Draft proper, as he is with Strong Group-Pilipinas competing in the Jones Cup.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone had nothing but praises for the spitfire guard out of Far Eastern University, who is the nephew of PBA legend Johnny.
"We're really excited. I think he's gonna be an elite player in his position," Cone said.
Cone, fresh from leading Gilas Pilipinas to a semifinal appearance in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, went as far as saying sky is the limit for the younger Abarrientos.
"I told Johnny if RJ can be half the player that his uncle was, he's gonna be the best player in the PBA," said Cone, who won multiple championships with the elder Abarrientos with Alaska in the 1990s.
This gives fans of the most popular ballclub in the country something to look forward to in the upcoming Season 49.