The latest issue of Baller, the PBA’s lifestyle magazine, is out now, featuring the Meralco Bolts’ coach Ryan Gregorio (known around these parts as “The Genius”) and spitfire guard Mac Cardona on the cover.



I wrote the cover story on Mac, and it’s probably my favorite Baller interview I’ve done so far. He was just so forthcoming, which was refreshing and interesting. An excerpt:

His in-game demeanor has won him a few enemies – at least on the court. During the 2009 Philippine Cup finals, Alaska coach Tim Cone threatened to instruct his big guys to lay Cardona out if the guard did not cut out his antics, which included taunting the Aces’ LA Tenorio. Cardona has also been involved in a number of scuffles, most notably with Ginebra’s backcourt irritant, Ronald Tubid. In 2008, the Talk ‘N Text top gun was ejected after giving Tubid a solid stomp while the Ginebra defender was sprawled on the floor.

Cardona swears, however, that his on-court antics are not meant to incite; he’s just a really intense guy. On the Tubid incident, he says that the two of them just got carried away during that game.

He adds that what happens in the hardcourt stays in the hardcourt. He understands that even threats of bodily harm from Tim Cone is just part of the game. “Ginagamit ko na lang na motivation yun,” he says. “Si Tim Cone, instead na sa team niya siya nag-focus, sa akin siya nag-focus. Ako yung naka-isa, ‘di ba? Pero kung natalo kami dun, siya yung naka-isa sa akin.”

The reason it’s easy to let things slide, Cardona says, is that players actually have a different relationship away from the bright lights. “Hindi ko dinidibdib yung mga yun,” he says about these incidents. “Lahat kaming players, magkakaibigan kami.”

Even Ronald Tubid?

“Oo, kahit kami ni Tubid. Pagdating sa labas, friends kami.”

I also wrote a piece on why the D-League is important, featuring PBA stars who blossomed while playing in the PABL and the PBL after college, among them, Roger Yap, Peter June Simon, Gary David, Jason Castro, Ronjay Buenafe, Larry Rodriguez, and Willie Miller.

And there’s a long feature on PBA players and their wives, if you’re into that sort of thing. If nothing else, you could read about how Ronald Tubid used a Robin Padilla line to get his future wife to finally go out with him, kasi nung una, hindi siya type.