Cabagnot proud of ex-SMB teammates

Alex Cabagnot couldn’t help but be proud of his former San Miguel Beer teammates — June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez — with their performance with Gilas Pilipinas in the coming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

Cabagnot said Fajardo and Perez displayed their characters as they played their hearts out despite being short-handed in their 74-64 win over the Taiwan Mustangs in their friendly match last Monday at the Philsports Arena.

“I know they’re tired and they’re physically depleted since they just finished the season, so for them to be here and represent the country shows their character,’ said Cabagnot, who scored 13 points for the Mustangs in the friendly match that aims to prepare Gilas for the OQT in Riga, Latvia on 2 to 7 July.

“Even if they are tired, they will still continue to play for the country.”

Cabagnot has a lot of memories with Fajardo and Perez during his stint with the Beermen in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

With Cabagnot running the plays and Fajardo terrorizing the paint, the Beermen won eight PBA titles as part of the “Death Five” squad that also included Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross with Leo Austria as head coach.

In 2021, Cabagnot and Perez played together before the 41-year-old veteran was traded to Terrafirma in November.

After playing for the Dyip, Cabagnot brought his talent to South Korea, where he played for the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League.

Now, he is with the Mustangs in which he has a chance to play with former National Basketball Association players Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, and Dwight Howard under Filipino-American coach Chris Gavina.

“I’m super excited. As you know, I’m at the tender age of 41 and continuing to play against the best of the best of the Philippines and playing in other countries, I’m just thankful that I’m still able to play,” Cabagnot said.