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Meralco sends off Allen Durham as long-time import retires




November 3 ------ ALLEN Durham has called it a career. The 36-year-old long-time import of the Meralco Bolts decided to retire from playing and spend more time with his family, especially his two growing kids. Coach Luigi Trillo confirmed of Durham’s decision to SPIN.ph after the organization held a send-off party to the three-time PBA Best Import, who is set to return back to the US. “AD has decided to retire and he just feels it’s the right time. He wants to spend time with his children, said Trillo. 

  

Durham finally walking away from the game he dearly loves came at a time when he fell short of carrying the Bolts back to the Governors’ Cup finals as they were swept by long-time rival Justine Brownlee and the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the best-of-five quarterfinals series. While power and brute remain Durham’s staple, it was obvious the import was just a bit of a shadow of his deadly form upon his return to the franchise four years after last playing for Meralco. At his peak, ‘The Hulk’ was a force to reckon with and guided the team to the Governors’ Cup finals three times – all of which he emerged recipient of the Best Import award. 

  

Durham was part of the Meralco side that played before a then record crowd 54,089 at the Philippine Arena during the deciding Game 7 of the season-ending conference in 2017. Trillo believes all of those finals losses laid the foundation for the Bolts to finally bag their first ever league championship during the last Philippine Cup. “He had been a big part of turning Meralco basketball into what it is today. I don’t think we would have won if not for the foundation of all these years. AD was part of that,” said Trillo, who was deputy to then head coach Norman Black in the three previous finals appearances by the team. 

  

During the sendoff, the entire team praised Durham for all he did for the franchise as captain Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, Anjo Caram, and Bong Quinto spoke superlatives about the mild-mannered import. Top Meralco officials were also present to grace the affair led by team governor Atty. Bill Pamintuan. So did fellow EASL imports Ange Kouame and DJ Kennedy, team manager Paolo Trillo, active consultant Nenad Vucinic, and Black, now a Meralco consultant, but was the one who recruited and tapped Durham to become the Bolts' resident import. “Glad to have gone to war with him,” added Trillo. 

  

The Meralco coach recalled how Durham carried the Bolts to his broad shoulders in the three times they played in the finals as injuries hounded the team. The import even had to play through injuries in order for Meralco to be competitive during one title series. “One of those finals AD played hurt in Game 4, and he got pain killers to play Games 4 and 5,” Trillo said. 

  

Durham was supposed to return and play for Meralco late in 2020, but the pandemic shut down the league and plans for a reunion flew out of the window. With imports not yet allowed to fly in and play in the PBA, he decided to take his act to the Japan B. League and found a new home with the Ryukyu Golden Kings. Durham also had a stellar career with the Golden Kings with whom he won a championship in three finals appearances. “He entered three finals and had one championship while being recognized as finals MVP,” Trillo said of Durham’s Japan stint. 

  

With the Bolts coming off a championship season, and Durham not returning to Ryukyu, Meralco decided to bring him back for yet another run. But again, injuries hurt Meralco’s campaign as big man Raymond Almazan played sparingly, and Allein Maliksi, Aaron Black, and rookie CJ Cansino missed the entire playoffs. Following his Governors’ Cup stint, Durham played for Meralco in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2 and helped the Bolts win their debut game against the Macau Black Bears, 92-85, but lost to his former B. League team Ryukyu, 77-74, in his homecoming at the Okinawa Arena. 

  

Shortly after the loss to the Golden Kings, Durham decided it was time to hang up his sneakers. “He felt it was time to retire after the Japan game. Ang ganda ng reception sa kanya (sa Japan),” said Trillo. “They say there’s a time to move away from the game, and AD felt this is the time, the proper time.” 

  

A product of Grace Christian University in Wyoming, Durham’s first stint in Asia’s oldest professional league was with the Barako Bull during the 2014 Governors’ Cup in which he helped the franchise reach the playoffs but lost to TNT in the opening round. Two years after, he returned and began wearing Meralco’s signature orange and blue jersey. It was history from then on. 

  

Source: spin.ph 

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