Meet PBA cager CJ Perez from Bautista
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
AS avid buffs of basketball, we watched the six games of the best-of-seven PBA Commissioner Cup 2023-2024 championship series on TV between San Miguel Beer and sister company Magnolia. It ended last February 14, Valentine’s Day, with more experienced and taller SMB squad winning the series, 4-2, through a pulsating come-from-behind 104-102 victory in the 6th game to clinch the title. It was our kabaleyan CJ Perez of Bautista town at the helm again, who did most of the damage to the Magnolia Hotshots, scoring a game high 28 points especially the very significant three-point shot that sealed the match, 48 seconds left in the game. That pushed the SMB fans roaring in standing ovation for him. Perez’ exceptional efforts in the series averaging 18 points per game earned him to win the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) championship award aside from seizing also the esteemed Best Player of the Conference (BPC) honor just last February 8, edging Fil-German Standhardinger and Fil-Am Scottie Thompson.
Yes, we should be proud of him being our co-Pangasinense. He brought multiple honors to our province like what other Pangasinan cagers did during their prime days like Marc Pingris, father-and-son Floreindo and RenRen Ritualo of Pozorrubio, the late Orlando Bauzon of Calasiao, Ronnie Magsano of Lingayen, Patrick Fran of Agno, Jun Marzan, Lordi Tugade and Rey Evangelista of Alaminos City, Marlou Aquino and Christian Calaguio of Sta. Barbara, father-and-son Danny and Dave Ildefonso of Urdaneta City, Romualdo Cabading of Villasis, another father-and son Romulo and Billy Mamaril of Malasiqui, to name some. Perez’s lowest score in the championship series was during the 5th game scoring only six points but SMB still managed to win convincingly, 108-98, to lead the series, 3-2.
I first met this macho hombre Perez in his hometown Bautista in summer of 2017 and interviewed him in Ilocano during one of their games in the annual Pangasinan Inter-Town/City Basketball Tournament representing his town Bautista. The yearly prestigious province-wide tourney was organized by our former governor the sports-minded Amado I. Espino III, who fully supported Perez during his amateur days. And though his team did not reach the championship series, I saw how the Bautista native Perez of Barangay Poponto, then 23 years of age, had already shown his potential to become a national professional PBA player someday.
Well, his full potential was realized in 2018. He was the first-round overall pick during the 2018 PBA draft and firstly played for the Columbian Dyip team in 2019-2020. He moved on to SMB in 2021 and remained in the team to this day. His skills were honed perfectly and is now one of the stellar players of the SMB quintet. Besides the two awards that he earned early this year, the now 30-year-old Perez also earned the 2019 Rookie of the Year plum and also bagged the PBA Scoring Champion in 2019, 2020 and 2023 thrice, twice as a member of PBA’s Mythical Team in 2019 and 2023, to name some.
I say he’s one of the best Pangasinenses ever produced by our province in PBA. I doff my hat to him. With SMB leading the series, 2-2, it was an even battle in the first four games with the boys of Magnolia veteran head coach Chito Victolero managing to tie the series to 2-2 by repulsing SMB twice consecutively, 88-80 and 96-85. And that’s the best Magnolia could do, subsequently losing the 5th and 6th sixth games consecutively, 108-98 and 104-102 to lose the title. It’s the 29th overall title of SMB and their 5th PBA Commissioner’s Cup title since they joined the professional league in 1989.
Viva SMB and its head coach Jorge Gallente! Viva Perez! Viva Pangasinan!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 1 PETER 3: 12
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