Another son of Bacolod City is making his home city proud in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Former University of St. La Salle junior Stinger Jeffrei Chan bagged the Most Improved Player award and made it into the Mythical Second Team in the 37th PBA Season.
Chan, who helped Western Visayas’ high school boys basketball team won the gold in the 2000 Palarong Pambansa held in Bacolod City, made a name for himself in the PBA as he transforms himself from a go-to guy and an all around player.
“He has the skills and attitude not only to become the Most Improved Player in the PBA, but hopefully, to be the MVP someday,” his former USLS coach Troy Sarabia said.
Sarabia, now head coach of the WNU Mustangs, said Chan has never stopped improving he knew that it was only a matter of time when the Bacoleño southpaw would start reaping awards in the PBA.
Another mentor, Dexter Dy, compares Chan’s skills with that of PBA triggerman Allan Caidic, himself a left-handed shooter.
Dy recalled how Chan played a vital role in the golden campaign of Western Visayas in the Palaro 12 years ago, and how impressive his performance was in the University Games a couple of years later, prompting the Far Eastern University to offer him a varsity scholarship for the Tamaraws.
After winning two awards in the PBA last night, Chan and his Rain or Shine teammates inched closer to their first ever championship as they beat B-Meg, 94-89, in Game 4 of the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Meanwhile, Mark Caguioa led the PBA honorees last night as this season’s Most Valuable Player. He was joined in the Mythical First Team by Gary David, James Yap, Arwind Santos, and Ranidel de Ocampo.
With Chan in the Mythical Second Team were Jayson Castro, Paul Lee, Sonny Thoss and Kelly Williams.
Caguioa, himself, made his own mark in the PBA as the only player to win MVP honors without making a single finals in the season. He earned a total of 2399 points in the balloting among the media, the players and league officials.
David, his closest rival for the honor had 1891 votes, while James Yap’s got 1417 and Arwind Santos’ 1087.*NAB
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