AFTER 16 SEASONS, PEEK HANGS UP SNEAKERS

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After 16 seasons, Talk ‘N Text center Ali Peek has decided to hang up his sneakers for good.

“Today, I retire from professional basketball. I thank my family, loved ones, friends, team, coaches, management, and God. What a ride!,” Peek announced Wednesday on his Twitter account @mtnpeek.

“I also want to thank all of you! The diehard PBA fans who continued to support the league all these years! Please keep it up!,” he added.

Peek, a Hawaii-born Fil-Am, studied at the Saint Mary’s College of California, before he was picked third overall in the 1998 PBA Rookie Draft by the Pop Cola Panthers behind Danny Ildefonso (Shell) and Noy Castillo (San Miguel Beer).

He then went on to play a fruitful 16 years with stops in Alaska, Coca Cola, Sta. Lucia, and Talk ‘N Text, where he played his last four seasons.

Curiously Peek started and ended his PBA career under the same head coach – Norman Black.

A three-time All-Star and the Best Player of the Conference in the 2003 PBA Invitationals, Peek averaged 11.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 shotblocks and 1.0 assist in a total of 649 games in his career while shooting a high 55.4% from the field.

The 6-4 Peek ended his career ranked eighth in total career rebounds (5,167), fourth in career offensive rebounds (2,012) and 12^th in defensive rebounds (3,155).

Last Nov. 17 in the Tropang Texters’ 89-80 season-debut win over Meralco in Cebu City, Peek became only the fourth player in PBA history to haul down at least 2,000 offensive rebounds after Jerry Codinera, Abet Guidaben and Ramon Fernandez, all PBA greats.

“I also want to thank the Philippines and it’s great people! I believe the Filipinos are the most passionate basketball fans in the world!,” Peek said. “And I cannot and will not ever forget my beloved blue-and-yellow Talk ‘N Text fans! Thank you for always supporting us! God bless!”

“I know for a fact that he was thinking of retiring. I think he was able to talk to the management of Talk ‘N Text about it and we will respect his decision,” said Virgil Villavicencio, the media bureau chief of the MVP Group.

Peek has been hobbled for the past few months of his back injury, and Villavicencio said that this was one of the reasons why the center opted to retire.

“Just the past year and a half, the injury just kept on coming back,” he said.

Looking back on Peek’s legacy, Villavicencio said, “Ali was probably at his best around 2009 when we won the Philippine Cup. There were big men there and he was the offensive go-to guy. May mas malaki pa sa kanya pero sya pa rin ang pinupuntahan nun,” Villavicencio said.

“He has done a lot of contributions especially for Talk ‘N Text. His main contribution was when he was healthy, he was a key figure in the three straight all-Filipino championships of Talk ‘N Text,” Villavicencio added. (RL)

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