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| PBA (file photo) |
By Ivan Saldajeno
QUEZON CITY--Because of a deep guard and wing rotation, GlobalPort had to let go of Ryan Arambulo, who was selected in the second round of the regular draft.
However, he was quick to find a club as AMA adopted him again to its PBA D-League lineup.
In fact, in an interview with Dugout Philippines on Wednesday at the Bagoong Club during the Titans' 2017 launch, Arambulo bared that Coach Mark Herrera already sent feelers about a potential second stint with them.
"Couple of weeks into training with GlobalPort, Coach Mark approached me. He was wondering if I signed yet, and I told him, 'I'm still working out with the team, so I cannot give a definite answer if I wanna come back," Arambulo said about their first chat.
Following the waiver, Herrera was quick to take Arambulo to his squad again.
"Coach Mark called me again, and he gave me an opportunity," Arambulo further said.
He, however, admitted that the decision of the Batang Pier to drop him is something he finds hard to swallow.
"Unfortunately, I was not signed by GlobalPort. Being cut from the team was like a heartbreaker," Arambulo lamented.
Still, he is happy to have Herrera to motivate him despite the setback.
"With Coach Mark supporting me and telling me, 'Don't stop trying. Give it another chance,' it really built my confidence again, and I'm ready to prove myself. It feels great. I feel like a veteran now. I've been playing this system for about a year now. Coach Mark gave me an opportunity again. The fact that he has trust in me gives me a lot of confidence," Arambulo further said.
Arambulo will now be part of a radically different AMA lineup with D-League Draft's number one pick Jeron Teng and young spitfire point guard Diego Dario boosting the roster, and the additions made Arambulo bullish for the upcoming season.
"We're more composed as a team compared to last year. A lot of our players know how to work with and without the ball, which allows to rotate the offense more smoothly. I feel like everybody has their own strength, can provide their own characteristic. I feel like collectively we're a better team," he continued.
Ahead of the Titans' opener against Batangas on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, Arambulo said, "We just have to trust each other. We thrive on our strengths. We just need to make it work. I feel like we'll be a lot smarter and faster this year because anybody can score. We're gonna step up on defense."
Still, he hopes of finally getting that elusive PBA or even an ABL contract.
"I'm ready for any opportunity that's given to me. I moved to the Philippines in hopes to become a professional player. I never set my off that goal. [Whether it's the] ABL or the PBA, any opportunity, I'm ready to showcase my talent and step up," Arambulo vowed in the end.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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