Abueva announces retirement from PBA

CONVERGE’s mercurial forward Calvin Abueva announced during a Facebook live session on Wednesday that he is set to retire in 2027. ”To all my fans, next year, you won’t see me (play) anymore,” Abueva said in Filipino, while interacting with his viewers online inside his vehicle. “So just enjoy [because] I’ll not be returning by next year,” he added. The 38-year-old Abueva’s sudden announcement came shortly after the PBA handed a P24,000 fine on him for his on- and off-court antics that saw him get ejected for incurring a technical foul, along with being whistled for flopping in Game 4 of the Converge-Rain or Shine Season 50 quarterfinals game. The FiberXers would go on to win the series, 3-1, following its 120-109 Game 4 victory as they marched to the franchise’s first-ever semifinal appearance. Abueva is now in his 14th season since emerging as the second overall pick in the 2012 PBA Rookie Draft. The “Beast” won his only PBA crown in 2013 while playing for Alaska although Converge’s entry to the semis gives the former San Sebastián star a chance to chase a second PBA crown. Converge will next face NLEX, which made it to the Final Four for the first time since the 2021 season. Abueva...