MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra’s RJ Abarrientos and Converge rookie Juan Gomez De Liano, two of the fastest rising guards in the league, will be teaming up to lead the Rookie and Siphomores squad after being among the top vote getters for this year’s PBA All-star Weekend sideshow.
Abarrientos and Gomez De Liano had a memorable face off in the recent PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals which saw the Gin Kings overcome the higher seed FiberXers by winkning back-to-back to advance to the semifinals.
The cat-quick Abarrientos led the RS squad with 42,862 votes, and will be joined by Converge big man Justine Baltazar (38,022), De Liano (37,802), Blackwater’s Sedrick Barefield (32,246), Magnolia’s Jerom Lastimosa (31,208), Caelan Tiongson of Rain or Shine (30,840), Kai Ballungay of Phoenix (28,466), Meralco’s CJ Cansino (28,094), Sonny Estil of Ginebra (24,026), Blackwater’s Dalph Panopio (23,136), Terrafirma’s Mark Nonoy (20,498) and Felix Lemetti of Rain or Shine (19,890).
On the other hand, Rain or Shine’s sweet-shooting Adrian Nocum amassed 38,710 votes to lead the Juniors’ side.
Joining Nocum in the Juniors squad are Ricci Rivero of Phoenix (38,020), Holt (35,584), Magnolia big man Zavier Lucero (35,120), Meralco’s Brandon Bates (28,008), Ralph Cu of Ginebra (27,806), Blackwater forward Christian David (25,852), TNT’s Kim Aurin (25,142), Titan’s Fran Yu (23,602), Kenneth Tuffin of Phoenix (25,576), Deschon Winston of Converge (21,412), and Titan’s Cade Flores (20,370).
This year’s PBA All-Star Weekend will be slated from March 6-8 in Candon City, Ilocos Sur.
The PBA last adopted the two All-Star formats in the 2019 edition of the mid-season spectacle in Calasiao, Pangasinan.