Ex-pro cager Cardel wants to join PBA refs' pool

Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) guard Johnedel Cardel wants to continue a career in Asia's first professional league. This time, the former high-flying guard from La Salle is seriously pursuing his plan of joining the PBA pool of referees. This was disclosed by PBA referees supervisor Ramil Cruz during the presentation of the new rules for the league's 36th season to mediamen Thursday at the PBA Office in Libis, Quezon City. "Cardel is one of those who expressed interest in joining our referees' pool," said Cruz, a former Philippine Basketball League standout playing under coach Joe Lipa's Philip’s Sardines. PBA operations manager Rickie Santos told GMANews.TV that a former PBA player like Cardel is one those being preferred to join the referees' pool. "He already has the feel of the game and he knows what it takes being a player. He will be a good addition if ever he did pursue his application," said Santos. The PBA Office, through Mauro Bengua, confirmed that the 6-foot-1 guard, who was picked sixth overall by Alaska in the 1993 Rookie Draft, sent his resume. The cager, who also had a stint in the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, is currently out of the country. Prior to his pro career, Cardel played for a La Salle squad that won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. He also suited up for the Derick Pumaren-mentored national team that finished third in the Asian Basketball Confederation Under-18 tournament. The team also included several notable players from the amateur ranks at that time like Danny Francisco, Bong Ravena, Jun Limpot, EJ Feihl and Olsen Racela among others. Should Cardel make it to the PBA pool of referees, he will become the fourth ex-pro player to make it to the roster of officials joining the ranks of former Crispa Redmanizer Tito Varela and Ernie De Leon, and U-Tex's Benjie Chua, who all became Class A referees in the league. All three cagers-turned-referees have already retired. One of the most notable players who saw action in the PBA and became a referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is former Olympian Leon Wood. Wood, a teammate of Michael Jordan in the 1984 Olympics, became an import of the Purefoods Hotdogs in the 1994 Third Conference, the same season when three of the teams' marquee players – Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera and then rookie Rey Evangelista – were loaned to the national team handled by Norman Black in the Hiroshima Asian Games. - JVP, GMANews.TV