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| Arwind Santos is making the jump to the MPBL. Dennis Acosta (file photo) |
MANILA--The Pampanga Giant Lanterns scored a recruitment coup as another PBA legend made his way to the MPBL.
Pampanga confirmed on Friday that the team signed Arwind Santos and even said that the six-foot-four forward has been activated for its playoff first-round opener against Marikina on Friday night.
The move to a home-and-away league was 21 years in the making as Santos revealed in a 2020 interview that he was already recruited to join the revived Pampanga Dragons club, renamed the Stars, for the 2002 MBA season before ultimately opting to stay in school and commit to Far Eastern University for the UAAP.
The 42-year-old Santos played for NorthPort during the last PBA season but only saw action four times during the season-ending Governors' Cup after a combined 17 games in the first two conferences.
Santos still got to play for the team in the PBA on Tour, but he was eventually let go after his contract expired.
The Batang Pier seemed to be ready to move on from Santos after drafting forward Zav Lucero with the fifth overall pick of the recent PBA Draft.
The Giant Lanterns host the Shoemasters in Game 1 of their best-of-three round-of-16 clash at 8 p.m. Friday at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
In the first game at 6 p.m., Caloocan and Pasig open their own best-of-three first-round series.
The Game 2's of both series will take place next Friday at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
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