Alaska lets Miller go - Aces ship ex-MVP to Ginebra for Baguio

MANILA, Philippines—Willie Miller, a two-time Most Valuable Player, was shipped by Alaska to his fourth team in the Philippine Basketball Association Wednesday and welcomed the challenge of proving himself again.
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“That’s what happens to players who age, they have no protection,” Miller told the
Philippine Daily Inquirer over the phone Wednesday night in Filipino. “I am not sulking, don’t get me wrong. I’m willing to prove myself over again. I have done that in the past.”

The 32-year-old Miller was traded to Barangay Ginebra for Cyrus Baguio as the Aces and the Gin Kings finally consummated the deal they both vehemently denied the past couple of days.

Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo said they were just giving in to Miller’s long wish to be traded.

“We didn’t want to let go of Willie,” Trillo said. “We just gave in to his wish. We also see Cyrus as a better defensive player.”

The 32-year-old Miller said that he indeed asked to be traded more than two years ago when the Aces lost in the seventh game of an epic championship series with Talk ‘N Text for the Philippine Cup.

He said he was hearing bad things about him after he missed a layup in the final second of the series which would have given the Aces the championship.

“I was hurt that time, although I’ve learned to accept it,” Miller continued. “It’s bad when you hear some nasty things when deep in your heart you know that you were willing to die out there to give your team the win.

“Tao lang ako, hindi perpekto (I’m human, I’m not perfect),” Miller, whose maximum P350,000-a-month contract expires in July, added. “But I still have a lot of years left in these legs.”

Miller captured his second MVP with the Aces after winning his first with Red Bull. He also had a stint with Talk ‘N Text, which he led to two Finals appearances.

He will take his 17-point, 4.5-assist and three-rebound Fiesta Conference averages to Ginebra where he will join a backcourt featuring Mark Caguioa and reigning MVP Jayjay Helterbrand.

Interestingly, Alaska and Ginebra duel at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

“We believe that Cyrus can supply us with some youth and quickness in our backcourt,” Alaska coach Tim Cone said. “His ability to get in the open court and finish will be a new dimension to our style of play.”

Cone expressed sadness in losing the jolly lefty, saying “aside from being a great player, Willie is one of the real good guys in the league and we are going to miss him, me especially. But he made it known to us the last couple of years that he wanted to be traded.”

By Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer