ALLAN THE MAN

For annexing the silver medal in the recent FIBA Asia Championship, the Philippines regained its place in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, ending years of futility in.

If Philippine basketball’s living legend Robert Jaworski will have his way, the next target would be to get back to the Olympic Games hoops tournament for the first time since the Munich Summer Games 31 years ago in 1972.

The Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday signed Anthony Bennett, the number one selection in the NBA draft last June.

The Cavaliers did not release the terms of the deal but the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported it is worth $16.7 million over three years.

This is what San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone believes as he expects superstar swingman James Yap to break out of a shooting slump and import Marqus Blakely to overcome his struggles from the free throw line.

The country’s most beloved son Manny Pacquiao is aware his boxing career lost some glitter after a huge letdown in 2012 that saw him fail to win in two big matches.

“Siyempre natalo tayo sa last fights natin, kailangang mabawi natin `yung trust and confidence sa atin ng tao,” he said.

In quick response to Friday evening’s Cebu ferry disaster where a number of people died and over a hundred still unaccounted for, Globe Telecom immediately sets up two Libreng Tawag centers which victims and families of those affected can use to establish communications with their friends and kins.

The first Libreng Tawag site is at the Pier 4 Terminal in Port Area where about 300 survivors are staying while the second Libreng Tawag center is in Sugbutel, one of the two hostels which house the other survivors.

Rafael Nadal won the Cincinnati Masters for the first time on Sunday, his ninth title of 2013 lifting him to number two in the world and stamping him as one of US Open favorites.

He beat unseeded American John Isner 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3) to add the Cincinnati crown to the Montreal Masters title he won a week before, his first ever back-to-back hardcourt trophies.

Alaska Aces super rookie Calvin Abueva, Petron Blaze do-it-all forward Arwind Santos and FIBA Asia Mythical Five member Jayson Castro are in a neck-and-neck fight for the season MVP award with one short conference to go in the 38th PBA season.

Castro is already seeded as an official MVP candidate being the Philippine Cup BPC (Best Player of the Conference) winner while Abueva and Santos are making a strong case for themselves being the leaders of the stats race through the first two conferences.