BIG three no more.
Sadness poured in for James Yap, Marc Pingris and Peter June Simon as their triumvirate will no longer be complete after a blockbuster trade sent the 6’3” shooting guard to Rain or Shine in the Philippine Basketball Association.
The stunning swap between Yap and Paul Lee shook not only Star and Rain or Shine but the entire Philippine basketball community as well.
Yap, who has been the face of the Hotshots for the last 12 years, will now wear a different uniform for the first time in his PBA career next season and in a surreal twist, he will no longer have Simon and Pingris, his two bestfriends in the league, around anymore as he embarks on a new journey.
Obviously sad with the sudden turn of events and shift of his career, Yap went to social media to thank his former team, his best pals and his fans for the 12 years he spent with Star, formerly Purefoods.
“Maraming salamat sa Purefoods family ko sa lahat ng tiwala at pag-alaga niyo sa’kin sa 12 years. Salamat sa Purefoods fans sa suporta at pagmamahal. It has been a wonderful ride. Maraming salamat at God bless,” said Yap on his Instagram account (@jcy18).
He also expressed his sadness over his move but still showed his excitement to play for his new team, Rain or Shine.
“Nakakalungkot man pero gusto ko mag-thank you sa Purefoods sa tiwala at pag aala sa akin. I’m excited to play sa ROS. Sa lahat, God bless and kitakits,” added Yap.
Just several hours after the Yap-Lee trade went down, Simon and Pingris immediately expressed their sadness over the transfer of their buddy after over a decade of being teammates at Star.
“Salamat ng marami tol! Sa lahat ng pag-sasama, sa panalo at talo. Sad ako pero ganyan talaga buhay, minsan nasa taas, minsan nasa ibaba pero ‘wag mawalan ng pag-asa dahil nasa likod mo ang tunay mong barkada,” said Pingris in his Instagram account (@jeanmarc15) in a touching gesture. Jeric Lopez
“Sa loob ng mahigit isang dekada, nakakapanibago na makikita kita na nasa ibang koponan na. Anuman ang sorpresang ibibigay sa atin ng buhay, laban lang. All the best,” said Simon through his Instagram account also (@pjs08)
Yap replied to Simon’s post to show gratitude to his longtime partner. Both players entered the league and Star at the same time in 2004.
“Thank you part @pjs08. Malungkot man pero kailangan tanggapin,” Yap said in response to Simon.
The trio helped Star win multiple championships, including a rare grand-slam in 2014, along the way in over a decade.
This sudden transfer of Yap happened after Star suffered one of its worst seasons over the last decade.