Joe Devance unretired and suited up for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup quarterfinals against the Meralco Bolts.
Joe Devance returned to the Philippines to take care of business. He didn’t know that business would be an unfinished one with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
To cut the long story short, Devance donned the Gin Kings jersey again after retiring around mid-2022 in hopes of giving the short-handed team a much-needed boost in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
Sore and all, the 42-year-old cager felt good in Ginebra’s 99-92 win over Meralco in their series opener on Thursday, September 26.
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“I don’t know how many minutes I played but it feels like I played 40 minutes,” said Devance, who logged over six minutes and 19 seconds and finished with two points.
Those minutes were valuable for Ginebra coach Tim Cone, with whom Devance won multiple championships.
“Joe's ability to come in and play those six minutes, that's six minutes Japeth doesn't have to play,” said Cone after the match at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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After being idle the past couple of years, Devance admitted he was not in the best of shape at the moment.
“My legs are a little heavy. It’s the first game I’ve had in two and a half years right? But it feels good. It felt great to be out there. I was a little anxious because I didn’t know how I was gonna play," he said.
“To be honest I’m not in the best of shape. I might look a little thinner than I was last time. I just train my kids, I train my basketball program in LA. That’s really the most I’ve done.”
That’s why Devance is asking for more time to be in tip top shape again.
“I’m telling my teammates just give me more time, doing everything I can to just try to support them and make their job easier,” he said.
He may have to do that fast since Ginebra is playing Meralco in Game 2 of the best-of-five affair on Saturday, Spetember 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.