MANILA — Friends and fellow basketball players alike are mourning the passing Wednesday of former pro hoops star Joey Mente.
Mente lost his battle to cancer at age 42 .
The 5-foot-10 guard’s high-flying antics became one of the main highlights of Iloilo’s three-season stay in the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), earning him a first round selection in the 2001 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Draft.
Mente would win two titles with San Miguel and even the 2001 Slam Dunk title, and although his stellar MBA career did not translate exactly to the PBA, it was his positive off-court attitude that stood out aside from his work ethic.
“Masayahing tao iyan kapag nakakasama namin sa game [na] out-of-town( he was a jolly fellow in our out-of-town game),” recalled PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, who was part of the Vintage Sports broadcasting team during Mente’s early days in the PBA, even telling that he would love singing in night outs.
However, Marcial also said that he could not believe that Mente, who after retiring from pro basketball became a pro poker player, would suffer and eventually succumb to “The Big C” at such a young age.
“Nakakagulat noong sinabi sa amin iyon last year na may ganoon siyang kalagayan (It was so amazing when we learned his health condition last year),” the commissioner continued. “Nakakalungkot na sinapit niya ang ganoong kalagayan. Huling kita ko sa kanya, ang sigla niya. Hindi ko akalain na tatamaan siya ng ganoon (It was so hurting of his fate. He was so lively the last time I saw him. It was so unfortunate).” (Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA)
