A Former San Juan Knight Released: Renzo Subido Free to Make PBA Debut

As it turned out, Mike Ayonayon won't be the lone San Juan Knight who is looking to make a splash in the professional ranks.

Remember that small guy from Aldin Ayo's team who broke the heart of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the step-ladder semifinals of last season's University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Yes, that kid named Renzo Subido? 

Renzo Subido played for the defending champions of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and wasn't supposed to be free from the grasp of the Knights until May this year but in a nice turn of events, the Knights gave Subido the proper release documents that will allow him to move on to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) where he will be playing for the NorthPort Batang Pier under Coach Pido Jarencio who is also the former head coach of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the UAAP. Also part of the Batang Pier line-up that Subido hopes to crack is the pair of former UST standouts in Jervy Cruz and Kevin Ferrer.

 It was said that upon getting his release papers from his MPBL team, Renzo Subido was immediately offered a one-year contract by the Batang Pier management- a contract that Subido agreed on upon receiving. 

Subido's release came at the best timing even though he'll have to wait furthermore as the PBA indefinitely suspended all PBA games due to the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). He'll have more time to be yelled at by Jarencio during practices as NorthPort is still dealing with the injuries of Robert Bolick Jr, Jonathan Grey, and Bradwyn Guinto. And the fact that both Jarencio and Subido already have a long history as it was Jarencio who recruited Subido from La Salle Zobel to UST in 2014 but the duo never got to work together in UST as Jarencio was then hired by the Batang Pier franchise, then known as Global Port, to become the team's head coach.

Now, armed with a second chance to prove his worth to the man who recruited him to UST, then drafted him, Renzo Subido is determined to help NorthPort finish better than their semifinal finish in last season's Governors' Cup. And perhaps, more. 

Photo is from Rappler