Abe King: Parole possible for Distrito

By Jasmine W. Payo
Inquirer
Last updated 04:58am (Mla time) 10/17/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- For the players who had the unfortunate luck of running into him on the court, Abe King was always bad news.

Nowadays, though, he is the bearer of good tidings, especially when it came to news about the incarcerated Rudy Distrito, whom he had fought a lot of memorable basketball wars against.

“The board of pardon in Nevada is already preparing the parole proceedings for Rudy,” King told the PSA Forum Tuesday. “Kaya pinag-hahandaan na ‘yung release plan niya (That’s why they are readying his release plan).”

King dropped by the PSA Forum sponsored by Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to brief local journalists on the status of the former PBA “bad boy” who is currently in jail for homicide.

King also gave a more in-depth introduction about his PBA Legends Foundation, a group that aims to help former basketball professionals.

Distrito is one of the first beneficiaries of the group, which played a series of exhibition matches to raise funds for the cager’s legal defense.

In between serious talks, King also found time to verbally jab around with the people who once covered his checkered career.

“Magiging mayabang ako dito (I’ll be a little boastful here),” the US-based King said. “Pero kung inabot ko ang basketball ngayon na ganyan kalinis, palagay ko makakalamang ako ng maraming beses (But if I were still playing today, I think I’d have a lot of edge).”

“Tignan niyo nga mukha ko, mukhang boksingero na (Look at my face, it’s like that of a boxer’s already),” said the 50-year-old King, who played in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1977 to 1995 for such teams as Toyota, Great Taste and Purefoods.