Beermen retiring Arwind jersey

San Miguel Beer great Arwind Santos will have his No. 29 jersey officially retired by the franchise he helped win nine Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) titles next week.

“We’ve been waiting for the go-signal from the big bosses and I think Arwind is deserving also to have his jersey number retired,” Beermen team manager Gee Abanilla told Daily Tribune on Friday.

The ceremony is set on Labor Day, 1 May, when San Miguel collides with Blackwater in the ongoing Philippine Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

“I think the timing of his jersey retirement is good because we’re doing it on May 1, Labor Day. I hope it attracts a lot of people, so we’ll have a great tribute for him,” Abanilla said.

The 42-year-old forward joined the Beermen in 2009 when he was traded by Air21, which drafted him second overall in the 2006 PBA Draft.

An athletic and passionate player, Santos was named Most Valuable Player in 2013, won Best Player of the Conference twice and Finals MVP two times. His defensive prowess also earned him three Defensive Player of the year awards and was a member of the PBA All-Defensive Team eight times.

Santos is also in the list of PBA 40 Greatest Players and a member of the league’s 10,000-point club.

“It’s a sort of gratitude also for his hard work and all his sacrifices for the team. It is something that he deserves,” Abanilla said.