AFTER powering Barangay Ginebra to its second Philippine Basketball Association crown under coach Tim Cone Greg Slaughter started the league’s 43rd season with bang.
He played solid games as he led the Gin Kings to a pair of victories to earn the PBA Press Corp Player of the Week Award.
Slaughter kicked off the PBA’s new season by knocking down 24 points, hauling down 12 rebounds and adding four blocks to lead Ginebra to an 89-78 victory over long-time rival Magnolia in the Manila Classico on Christmas Day at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
The former Ateneo big man is no doubt, Ginebra’s main weapon inside the paint. He used his size and length over shorter Magnolia defenders, like 6’6” Ian Sangalang and 6’4” Marc Pingris, to lead the Kings to their eighth straight Christmas Day win. Ginebra has only lost once in 11 Christmas Day games.
The 6’11” Slaughter then, continued his dominant showing. Despite coming off a long Holiday break he flirted with a double-double—scoring 18 points and adding nine boards, while making his presence felt on the defensive end with five blocks as Ginebra squeaked past GlobalPort, 104-97 last Sunday.
Slaughter’s impressive performances to start the season rewarded him the weekly citation.
He beat a number of worthy candidates led by teammate LA Tenorio; Phoenix gunner Matthew Wright, rookie Jason Perkins and big man Doug Kramer; TNT’s Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario and Mo Tautuaa; San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and Alex Cabagnot as well as Blackwater’s Mike DiGregorio and Mac Belo.
Slaughter was born May 19, 1988 in the US. After he finished high school his family moved to Cebu
He studied Political Science and played for the University of the Visayas from 2007 to 2009. He was a dominant force due to his height. He transferred to Ateneo de Manila University in 2010 and became eligible to play in 2011.
He teamed up with Kiefer Ravena and Nico Salva in his two seasons for the Blue Eagles. He averaged 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists per game, 2.9 blocks per game and had 49.7 field goal percentage. He placed second in rebounds and blocks.
Slaughter declared for the 2013 PBA draft. He then joined that year’s Rookie Camp and confirmed what everybody else had been thinking all along which was to make him the first overall pick.
