(CNN Philippines) — San Miguel Beer’s Marcio Lassiter has been the subject of a supposed blockbuster trade, but made a statement Sunday night (May 17) during the team’s 124-102 pummeling of the GlobalPort Batang Pier in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.
Lassiter scattered 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field to help the Beermen rack up their second win in four games at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Read: Beermen deal GlobalPort first loss behind import Reid, Lassiter
But the San Miguel sniper, whose offensive display ran the gamut from layups to long bombs, said he wasn’t actually trying to prove anything.
“I just come in the same way I come in, be professional and play San Miguel basketball,” said the 28-year-old cager.
“I’m here for the team. It wasn’t about proving anything wrong. Today, I was just aggressive, I shot the ball and it went in.”
The rumor mill went on overdrive the past week following a report that Lassiter would be shipped to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a three-team trade that will also see Mac Baracael going to Barako Bull Energy and JC Intal going to the Beermen.
Lassiter admitted he first heard about the trade before the start of the conference, but didn’t linger on the thought for too long as he set his sights on helping his current team’s campaign in the season-ending conference.
“Before the conference started, I first heard about it. I read about it,” he said. “Initially, it’s a surprise. At the same time, I just go out everyday, be professional, and compete. You can’t worry about too many things. That’s all I can do.”
But San Miguel coach Leo Austria himself quashed the rumors surrounding his prized cager.
“He’s not the player you want to be traded,” said Austria moments after their conquest of the Batang Pier. “And ever since I took over, he’s the main reason why I like this team.”
He added, “I think lahat ng coaches e (ganyang klase ng player ang) kailangan.”
