PBA: Nostalgia hits in Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot jersey swap

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ANTIPOLO CITY – The shirt swap ritual has long been observed in the Philippine Basketball Association.

But nothing quite like the one shared by Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel Beer and Alex Cabagnot of Terrafirma on Friday at the Ynares Center here.

“That’s my ‘Splash Brother’,” a smiling Lassiter told reporters on his way out of the hilltop arena, having just helped Beermen before Dyip’s 122-102 loss and the club’s third consecutive time in the Governors Cup.

“It was something we never had to do. We’ve been playing together for a long time and it’s just one of the fun things to do,” the 35-year-old sniper continued.

Lassiter and Cabagnot turned around. They were actually in the trenches together. The pair were key cogs in the San Miguel championship machine that dominated the Philippine Cup in the 2010s. Along with Chris Ross, June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos—they were known as the “Five Gods” by club — accounting for 9 of the 28 crowns of the lauded franchise.

The swap should easily send any San Miguel fan into a nostalgic frenzy. But it also sparks something that is unfolding right before the eyes of every PBA fan: The dawn of a new era in San Miguel.

With Cabagnot at Terrafirma, Santos at NorthPort and coach Leo Austria appointed to a less hands-on role, the Beermen’s grizzly team has been reduced to just three individuals: Lassiter, Fajardo and Ross.

“Just to always have those memories and say, ‘Hey, you know, we were teammates,'” Lassiter, who, like Cabagnot, said ended the game with two numbers.

“It was a great, exciting moment,” he added.

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