The 1990s are once again in vogue, from the return of baggy jeans to sampling of hit songs from the past to remakes of all-time favorite movies.
As always, the PBA, the world’s leader in basketball innovation, is not one to be left behind when it comes to trends.
The PBA was bannered by the Alaska Milkmen in the ‘90s, led by point guard Johnny “The Flying A” Abarrientos who was so good that NBA scouts flew to the Philippines just to watch him.
While the Alaska franchise may no longer be around, another member of the Abarrientos family, Johnny’s nephew RJ, is making waves in the league today in-line with the renewed popularity of the ‘90s.
Unlike others though, Abarrientos has made it this far on his own merit.
After playing one campaign with the FEU Tamaraws in the UAAP back in 2022, the 5’11 guard tried his luck abroad. He first played in the Korean Basketball League then moved on to the Japanese B.League, playing one season each in these foreign leagues.
Last June, he made the decision to come back home and joined the 2024 PBA Draft where he was selected third overall by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Serendipitously, Ginebra’s current head coach, the legendary Tim Cone, was also in-charge of Alaska during Johnny Abarrientos’ heyday.
However, with 2021 PBA Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson already Ginebra’s starting point guard, Abarrientos has had to begin his career as a reserve. This has inevitably led to a quiet start to his PBA journey. He had a poor showing in his debut where he made only one of his 15 field goal attempts in 29 minutes, but has gradually found his footing since.
Abarrientos has improved over this 2024 PBA Governor’s Cup, and he has finally begun to flash his full potential on the court with the elimination round of his first conference now wrapping up.
With Ginebra coming off an embarrassing 49-point loss to the San Miguel Beermen, Abarrientos was determined to bounce back against the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters. He played a crucial role in their victory, putting up a career-high 24 points on eight-of-15 shots in 31 minutes, along with five rebounds, five assists, and a steal in what was, by far, his best performance as a PBA player.
What made Abarrientos’ night even more special in this 112-96 victory of Ginebra was that he played an active role in securing the win for their team.
When he checked into the game for his first stint in the opening quarter, he immediately made an impact as he spearheaded a 7-1 run that allowed them to take a 36-24 lead at the end of the opening period. Abarrientos scored five of those points, including a no-look-and-one lay-up that electrified the minimal crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. He also assisted on the other basket during this run.
Come the second half, he hit three consecutive three-pointers late in the third quarter that blew the game open as Ginebra took an 85-66 lead.
Phoenix had one last rally in them, though, as they came within 13 points, 106-93, with less than two minutes left to play. With the threat of a disastrous collapse looming, Abarrientos silenced the Super LPG Fuel Masters’ last gasp attempt with a four-pointer that brought their lead back up to 17 with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter.
Following the win, Ginebra improved their record to 6-3 and earned a guaranteed slot in the quarterfinals. They are behind only San Miguel and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Group B as both teams currently sport a 6-2 record.
Abarrientos’ career may not have gotten off to as hot a start as his fellow rookies, but this experience of his as a key contributor on a team as storied as Ginebra and under the tutelage of an elite coach such as Cone should be invaluable down the line. He is already beginning to show some flashes of brilliance and it would be unsurprising if he comes up with a signature performance or two in the upcoming postseason.
He still has a long way to go before he can match the popularity and achievements of his uncle, yet Abarrientos is in an ideal position to succeed and his improving play is more than encouraging. When it is all said and done, RJ Abarrientos has shown that he has what it takes to carve out his own legacy in the Philippine basketball scene, one that is independent of the elder Johnny’s.
So while the pop culture reboots and reimaginings of ‘90s classics have been rather hit-or-miss, this revival of the Abarrientos family name in the PBA is going well and proves that some second acts can indeed flourish on their own accord.
