Why Vince Hizon departed Ginebra for the MBA

When Vince Hizon was traded to Ginebra in 1995 to play for the Living Legend Robert Jaworski, the young cager felt he got the opportunity of a lifetime. He was like living a dream, playing for the league’s most popular team handled by the most iconic image of the PBA.

Hizon was guided by Jaworski to his wings and taught the former how to fly to become one of the team’s established stars. The former Ateneo shooting guard was a key figure in Ginebra’s three straight finals appearances and was a vital cog in the team’s 1997 Commissioner’s Cup conquest of former tormentor Alaska Milk.

But by the end of the 1998 season, things changed when the Jaworskis — Sonny and Dodot — left the team and Hizon was one of the key players left unsigned prior to the start of the 1999 season.

Suddenly, Hizon’s mindset of playing his best basketball for the team he loved the most and ending his career as a Gin King, took an immediate turn.

“I have no plans. I thought I would end my career with Ginebra, to be honest. I have every intention to. But as fate would have it, so many things were happening that were way beyond my control,” Hizon told The Link Podcast sponsored by SMART, Rain or Shine and LGR.

“For example, the ownership of the team — from Palancas to the Cojuangcos. That was the big difference in the structure and how the things are being ran. Things were starting to change and you can certainly feel it. Even Coach Jaworski resigned and Dodot said I’m done as well. This was supposed to be our family. There goes our dad and our brother. This is different and the other guys were hearing they were also gettng offers from the other league (MBA).”

Left without an offer from Ginebra, Hizon was on the verge of getting jobless for the 1999 season — until a phone call would change his fortunes.

“To cut the long story short, I asked for a contract with Ginebra if they’re still interested. They said, ‘yes, yes’ but I’ve never received a written formal offer. I actually went to the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards and I was corned by sina Beth Celis and other PSA writers that they been hearing a lot of things and they wanted to know if they’ll be interviewing me for the PBA. That’s when I came out that I have no official written offer from Ginebra San Miguel and I’m jobless. ABS-CBN caught that and the next day, they called me. Obviously they read the newspapers,” said Hizon.

“So they called me and said, come on over. So we met and they said, ‘well, we would like you toplay in the MBA’. I answered, ‘are you serious? OK, so let’s talk.’ So that’s how it started. I really had no intentions, but when they said ‘OK, let’s do it.’ I said, ‘are you willing to put that in writing’? So they gave me a document right away.”

Playing five seasons in the PBA means Hizon owes his loyalty to the big league, so he gave officials of the country’s premier basketball league an opportunity to keep him on their lot. Things didn’t work out for the player to stay on — and he did the next best thing by getting the best offer presented to him.

“To be honest, I took the offer and went back to the PBA. I went to Commissioner Jun Bernardino and I said ‘I have an offer and this is in writing. Can somebody do something in this side of the fence because I didn’t receive anything’. He tried. I did meet with other teams. Sta. Lucia, I met with (team owner) Exi Robles and (team manager) Buddy Encarnado. It just didn’t work out. I guess I’m playing for the MBA. That’s how my road changed dramatically,” he added.

Was it true he was the highest-paid player in the MBA?

“Definitely. It was public. It was actually bigger than what a lot of people think, too. It’s funny. I don’t want to give the other details. When I first agreed and we did the handshake, it was five years. But on the day of the signing, it was changed to three years. It would have been even bigger,” he added.

Hizon signed the most lucrative deal in the history of the fledgling regional amateur basketball league and played for the Iloilo Megavoltz and stayed there for two seasons in a career marred by a series of injuries. He went back to the PBA and played for Red Bull where he became a part of the back-to-back champion squads of 2001 and 2002.