NOT even in one’s wildest dream does anyone see
LA Tenorio
leaving
Barangay Ginebra
and wearing another PBA team jersey – especially at this point of his career.
Yet despite being safe from being pried away by other teams after the Kings opted to put him in the Unrestricted Free Agent With Rights To Salary (UFAWR2S), there still remains at least a one percent chance of landing with another team outside of Ginebra.
READ:
Tim Cone reveals UFA relegation was LA Tenorio’s decision
How is it possible?
Usually players who are relegated by teams to UFAWR2S have prior arrangements with their mother ballclub about not signing up with other teams.
That has been the case with veteran Fil-Am big man Joe Devance, who was twice put under the same situation by Ginebra management in the past.
But there was one previous isolated case when a team was able to land an unrestricted free agent away from his mother team.
And ironically, it involved Barangay Ginebra.
Jarred Dillinger decided to sign with Barangay Ginebra when he was put by Meralco in the UFAWR2S back in 2018.
Meralco management said there was prior arrangement with Dillinger about not accepting offers from other teams, the reason why it decided to relegate him to the unrestricted free agent list.
At the same time, there’s also an unwritten rule among teams not to touch star players who had been relegated as UFAWR2S.
PHOTO: Mark Cristino
If ever a team is really interested in a player, there should be a courtesy to be given to the mother team.
“Respect lang naman. Ipag-paalam nyo lang yung player sa mother team niya. Management to management level na yan,” one member of the board of governors explained to kaci
“Usually siyempre hindi naman papayag yung team. Pero at least nag courtesy ka,” the same source added.
“Kung makumbinsi mo naman, e ‘di ok. At least andun pa rin yung respect mo with the other management.”
Of course, no way would Ginebra let go of the 40-year-old Tenorio.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone explained Tenorio’s coaching job with the Batang Gilas for the SEABA qualifiers for the FIBA U16 Asia Cup was the major reason for management’s decision to place the former Ateneo guard in the unrestricted free agency list.
Once the tournament, set May 24-31 in Pampanga is over, Cone said Tenorio will be relegated back to the active roster.
At the same time, given the close relationship Tenorio had with Cone and Barangay Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua, there’s no way the long time Ginebra team captain will be let go by the Kings.
“Given naman yung closeness nila Gov Al and LA, wala naman sigurong teams pa ang mangangahas na kunin pa si LA,” said the team governor.