Back in 2013, Abueva Said he Wants to Play for Ginebra...Someday

Is the beast on the move?!

Where will the Beast go from here? (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Over the years, Calvin Abueva has been known, loved and even hated for his aggressiveness as well as for his defensive antics that have one primary purpose: to make any player he is guarding at any given moment lose his focus, his cool and eventually, that player's offensive game will be ruined.

That's the kind of game Abueva has been playing ever since he came to the PBA since he was drafted by the Alaska Aces back in 2012. Even back in his college days with the San Sebastian Stags in the NCAA where he also won an MVP award, the Beast was already dominant on both ends of the court.

As the Alaska Aces ended their miserable 2017 PBA Governors' Cup campaign with a 3-8  slate after another embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, nagging whispers regarding Abueva's future with the team have been making the rounds anew. Even though it has been continuously denied by the Alaska management namely, by Head Coach Alex Compton, circulating rumors has it that Abueva may be on the move come next season.

This is despite the mere fact that both Alaska and Abueva himself, have agreed to a 15.1 million Peso, 3-year deal back in 2015- a deal that will be ending this season. Should Abueva wants to remain with the Aces, it should be easy especially considering the fact that he was considered to be a part of the Aces' core back in 2015. Was.

If Abueva will be playing for another team come the next season, the Aces will lose a big part of themselves and the Aces themselves know that. But, Abueva wasn't even in uniform during the Aces' latest defeat and he has been missing tons of games this season due to personal reasons and his stint with the Gilas Pilipinas.

Should the Beast make a move, which team would be the best destination? 

The answer to that question is simple: Ginebra. As mentioned by Abueva himself in the past and earlier this season, he wanted to play for the fan-favorite Gin Kings. In fact, photos of Calvin Abueva in a Ginebra uniform have been circulating in the social media as of late and apparently, fans are clamoring for it to happen- fans of the Gin Kings and the Beast to say the least.

Here's the question, folks, let's say Abueva does go on to sign with the Gin Kings, will he fit in the already crowded and talented line-up of Coach Tim Cone? The answer would be a BIG YES. Why? Ginebra is known as the team who lives and dies by their "Never Say Die" mantra and when it comes to never quitting no matter the odds are, we all know that the Beast can live up to that reputation and will stand up against opposing players no matter how big they are- something that we all saw during his stint with Gilas that played in the FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon earlier this year.

Whether or not Calvin Abueva will play for Ginebra, it's all up to the Beast himself and, to the Alaska management, too. Abueva may have been tamed down a bit but we all know what he's capable of. The Aces can drop him but they too, themselves know that replacing a player of Calvin's caliber is a monstrous task for any team for that matter.

If ever Ginebra gets to sign the Beast, that alone, could change the balance in the PBA because imagine a team that has a healthy Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson who is making a name for himself too, an always reliable LA Tenorio and, the Beast, that's a scary team. It's like giving a monster another claw for himself.