NBA veteran to beef up Ginebra

NBA veteran to beef up Ginebra
By Joaquin Henson The Philippine Star Updated February 27, 2012 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - With import Chris Alexander unable to dominate like he used to, NBA veteran Jackson Vroman will instead take on the cudgels as the man in the middle for Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. The 6-10, 230-pound California-born star, who became a Lebanese naturalized citizen to play at the 2009 FIBA-Asia and 2010 FIBA World Championships, is scheduled to arrive in Manila this morning.

Vroman, 30, would’ve flown in earlier but according to his agent, lost his passport and had to apply for a replacement. Alexander has played three games for the Kings, averaging 14 points and 20.1 rebounds this season. Each of the three contests was close with Ginebra beating Petron, 84-82 and Rain Or Shine, 89-88 and losing a 76-74 decision to Alaska. Against the Aces, Alexander shot 3-of-7 from the field and 1-of-4 from the line in 42 minutes. In the squeaker over the Painters in Dubai last Friday, Alexander fouled out with two minutes to go and was hardly a factor.

Alexander, 31, led Ginebra to its last title in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference. His form today is a far cry from how he creamed the opposition four years ago. He was reportedly informed of Vroman’s arrival yesterday. Vroman was in the wish list of at least two other PBA clubs looking for an import switch.

What makes Vroman a potential game changer is his versatility as a Dirk Nowitzki play-alike with the interior presence of a Dennis Rodman. His Iowa State coach Wayne Morgan once described him as “a more offensively talented version of Rodman.” As a senior at Iowa State (the same school where Alexander played) in 2003-04, Vroman averaged 13.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while hitting .564 from the floor and .507 from the stripe. He finished his two-year Iowa State stay ranked No. 2 in field goal percentage and No. 9 in blocked shots in the all-time standings.

Vroman, whose father Brett played at UCLA and the Utah Jazz in the NBA, was picked on the second round by the Chicago Bulls in the 2004 draft. He suited up for Phoenix and New Orleans in four NBA seasons, averaging 3.3 points in 87 career outings. As an NBA rookie with the Suns in 2004-05, he registered career highs of 17 points against San Antonio and 13 rebounds against Charlotte. From the NBA, Vroman barnstormed Europe where his father played 12 years as an import. He saw action in Spain and Lithuania before taking his sneakers to Asia where his basketball odyssey brought him to Iran, Lebanon, South Korea and China.

In May 2009, Vroman accepted Lebanese citizenship to play in the FIBA-Asia and FIBA World Championships. He towed Lebanon to the Final Four of the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tianjin, China, in 2009, averaging 17.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in eight contests. At the World Championships, Vroman hit at a 14.8 clip in five outings. Vroman also had a stint as an import with the Iranian club Mahram which he led to the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup titles in 2009 and 2010, averaging 24 points and 8.5 rebounds in 14 total games.

Known as a free spirit, Vroman attended five high schools. He used to cut high school classes in Utah and ride a bus to take him to a downtown gym to play basketball. After his parents divorced, his mother sent him and sister Lauren from Alaska to Utah to live with their father when he was in Grade 8. His father is now a counselor of juveniles in Salt Lake City and Lauren became the bass guitarist for the punk rock band Lithium.

At Iowa State, Vroman survived an unstable family environment to live his dream as a basketball star. He dyed his hair an assortment of colors like yellow, blue, maroon and black and was arrested for drunk driving and marijuana possession. “They were really hard things to go through at the time but I’m fortunate to go through them in college,” he recalled quoted by writer Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The campus struggles toughened Vroman for the life ahead and strengthened his resolve to be the best basketball player he can be.

Coro once remarked that Vroman is a poor man’s version of Oklahoma City Thunder’s Nick Collison, “expending relentless energy on the court and a dynamic personality off it.”

Ginebra’s next game is against Powerade at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Sunday so Vroman has a week to acclimatize before seeing action in his PBA debut.

Source: The Philippine Star

Hard to see Alexander go but if it's for the betterment of the team then go for it!

binigyan nila nang pag kakataon si ca44 para ipakita at ilabas muli ang dati nyang galing pro hindi na tlga tulad ng dati..

mukhang magaling ang import naten na ito kung dirk nowitski at rodman ang style ng pag lalaro nya

sana totoo nga yan, may mga import n magaling lang s papel pagdating s pba lagpak diskarte :1:

hindi lang naman si alexander ang may pagkukulang. Well thats life we have to accept nalang kung anu ang mga mangyayari

kala ko bata, isang taon lang pala tanda ng bagong import naten.. sana makapag adjust kagad sha sa team naten.. goodluck sa debut game mo kontra POW

ala rodman na may opensa ........... sarap panoorin .............. :10:

hindi siya ganun ka impressive sana lang magawa nya mga nagagawa ni ca44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzR5Iy_2iJg

okey parin naman para saken si CA44. Ang lakas rumebound at may depensa. Kilala na rin nya ang team. Hay may issue na nga ang chemistry dagdag pa ang import sa isyu nato :mad1:

pre madali ng mapagod si ca44 tapos alam na ung laro nya..

kaso lang pre ang magiging isyu dito is yung team chemistry. Sana nga maging maganda ang naging desisyon ng mga coaching staff.

sa susunod nalang ako magko-comment pag nakita ko na siya maglaro. sana lang makapag adjust siya kaagad.

magandang gabi mga kabarangay i'm back again.........
no comment muna ako hanggat di ko napapanuod yung game ng new import natin....but of course i'm sad because love ni CA ang bgk and i like him too as an import of my beloved team bgk but kailangang tanggapin ang realidad everything happens for a reason....welcome sa new import vroman

Sana magpakitang gilas kagad si Vroman sa 1st stint nya sa PBA. Though maraming nagsasabi na magaleng sya, lets see nalang. Sana mag jell din sya kagad sa mga locals