The return of the prodigal son, Japeth Aguilar, to the PBA

It must have been a sight to see for Japeth Aguilar. Thousands of fans trooped to the Smart-Araneta Colisuem for the opening game of the PBA Commissioner's Cup. Most of those fans were excited to see Aguilar back in action. It didn't even matter what team they were rooting for. Aguilar walked onto the wooden floor to a bunch of questions. Is coming back to the PBA the best decision for him? How will the fans react to his return? Will his team be competitive? Was he going to be as good as he hoped? The former Talk 'N Text Tropang Texter knew it would me too much to process so he tuned it out. "I blocked off the crowd," Aguilar admitted. "Kung makita ko kasi sila, baka kabahan ako kaya nag-concentrate na lang talaga ako sa laro." [Related: The intertwined careers of Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Japeth Aguilar] The gangly forward groped for form in the first quarter, the ring refused to accept Aguilar's shots like it was still bitter about him leaving for the NBA D-League Draft. Aguilar kept trying and trying until he finally got one in. Then like a snap of a finger, he was back to his old self. He scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and swatted four shots. But the most revealing number was 37. Those were the minutes he played in his first game back. He wasn't supposed to play that much but he was forced to as their import Justin Williams was ejected early in the third quarter. "Sinabi lang ng mga teammates ko na kaya pa namin," Aguilar said. "Pero kahit wala silang sinabi sa akin, alam ko na ako yung kailangang mag-step up." He did. Aguilar, alongside Jondan Salvador, faced a brutal combination of Renaldo Balkman, Arwind Santos, and Jay Washington. "Malakas talaga si Balkman," Aguilar admitted. "Mahaba siya at mabilis yung second jump kaya nakascore siya sa akin." The former NBA player scored 14 points in the second half of that game, most of which against the defense of Aguilar. But in the game's most crucial moments, Aguilar more than held his own. Up by a precarious point, Aguilar bothered a shot by Santos, then completely erased Washington's follow-up attempt. After he got the ball, Aguilar walked to mid-court and flung the ball up in the air thinking the game was over. "Man, I'll never do that again," Aguilar said while laughing at his Javale McGee-like booboo. "Sobrang laki kasi nung pressure na nasa akin at sa totoo lang sobrang pagod na ako kasi matagal na akong di nakakalaro ng ganun katagal," he said. "Akala ko tapos na yung game kaya hinagis ko yung bola kasama na nung lahat nung pressure." [Related: Japeth soars as GlobalPort escapes with win over Petron on opening day] As the rest of the GlobalPort team headed to the dugout, Aguilar remained for the post-game interview. And when it was his time to enter the dugout, his teammates exploded in cheers. It was a moment Aguilar will remember forever. The moment when he was officially welcomed back to the PBA. He was no longer the prodigal son. He was one of the guys again. Aguilar was seated on one of the chairs when GlobalPort team captain Gary David approached him. "Nafi-feel ko na Cap," Aguilar joked while emulating the hands-on-fire celebration that David popularized. "Ituloy mo lang yan," David replied while patting his new teammate on the shoulder. "Iyan ang hiningi niya e," David said of Aguilar. "Sinasabi niya na gusto niyang makapaglaro ng mahaba, ngayong nabigay sa kanya, pinatunayan niya naman deserve niya yung minuto." Aguilar longed for to play major minutes in a game, for his actions to directly affect the outcome of the game. Aguilar also dreamt of being on the floor during the deciding moments, to feel the pressure and to see if he's up to the task. In his first game with GlobalPort, Aguilar got everything he ever wished for. The playing time, the stats, the chance to take center stage, and most importantly the victory that was partially anchored on him. It was a triumphant homecoming for the PBA's prodigal son and the all of Philippine basketball is happy for him. Heck, even his Arwind Santos was happy for him. "Masaya ako na nakabalik na siya sa PBA kasi kapareho nating Kapampangan iyan," Santos said. "Basta magpursige lang siyang abutin yung makakaya niya, siguradong malayo rin ang mararating niya," he added. Japeth Aguilar's career will always be filled with questions. Will he ever reach his true potential? Can he be a franchise player? Can he expand his game and be the monster everyone thinks he could be? But amidst all the questions, at least one was answered this game. The PBA is where Japeth Aguilar belongs. - AMD, GMA News