Ex-PBA import dies penniless

Several former PBA imports have passed away since the league opened its doors to foreign reinforcements in 1975. Anthony Roberts and Jim Bradley were gunned down. Carlos Terry was killed in a car accident. Danny Knight fell from a stairway, lost consciousness and died. Bruce (Sky) King succumbed to a heart attack while working out in his private gym at home. George Trapp died of stab wounds from an altercation.

The other day, we found out from San Miguel Beer coaching consultant and skills coach Alton Lister that his brother James died about two months ago in Fort Worth, Texas. James played seven games for the defunct franchise CDCP in the 1981 PBA season, averaging 22.5 points. He didn’t last long with the Builders and was replaced by NBA veteran Jeff Wilkins. James was 30 when he suited up in the PBA and 59 when he died. His single-game highs included 36 points, 12 blocked shots (the second most by an import ever, behind only Andy Fields’ 13) and 11 turnovers (twice, ironically in CDCP wins over Presto, 95-69, and Tanduay, 117-95).

Alton and James were two of four children. According to Alton, James enjoyed a long career in the Belgian league where he played for 13 years. But something happened in his last season in Europe.

“I think he was traumatized by something we never found out what,” related Alton. “I remember James calling to say he was being hunted down and prevented from leaving Belgium for some reason. We sent a close family friend to bring him back to the US but he was never the same again.”

James appeared to have lost his mental balance.

“We reached out to him,” said Alton. “We knew a little about his family, that he had a child in Europe and another in the US. But when we spoke to him, he was never coherent. It was like his mind was going in circles. He lived in the streets. He had a bad smoking habit. He started smoking when he was 16. We took him out of the streets but after a while, he was back. He didn’t want anyone’s help. He lived in a tent with the Salvation Army. We tried to bring him to a doctor but he wouldn’t go.”

Alton said he was told that James was found dead with blood coming out from every orifice. James had lost so much weight and was down to 120 pounds. In the PBA, he was listed as a 6-9, 225-pound center.

“It was a sad ending,” said Alton. “When he came back from Belgium, he seemed lost. He didn’t know what to do after basketball. I know he enjoyed his short visit to Manila and always spoke fondly of Filipino fans.”

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Alton, 52, has lived in Manila since November 2008, working with San Miguel Beer. He has fallen in love with the country and is seriously considering to bring over two of his four children even for a brief visit. “I miss my kids,” said Alton. “My boy Alton, Jr. is 14, lanky and long. He’s about 6-4 now. He’s always asking for his Daddy. My daughter Alexa is 13. She’s six-foot tall and a volleyball player.”

An option is for the Lister kids to enroll in a Manila school and play their sports – Alton, Jr,, basketball and Alexa, volleyball.

Alton played for Milwaukee, Seattle, Golden State, Boston and Portland in a 16-year NBA career until his retirement in 1998. He played during the golden era of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. In 2007-08, Alton was an Atlanta Hawks assistant coach. The next season, he played a vital role in backstopping coach Siot Tanquingcen in San Miguel Beer’s victory in the Fiesta Conference finals with his Arizona recruit Gabe Freeman, now playing for Townsville in the Australian league.

Alton played at Arizona State before turning pro and his teammates included NBA first round picks Fat Lever, Sam Williams, Kurt Nimphius and Byron Scott. Alton himself was a first round choice by Milwaukee in 1981.

“I’m lucky to be with a first-class organization like San Miguel,” said Alton. “I love it in the Philippines. The fans appreciate basketball. At San Miguel, we’ve got a good situation in that the players really respond positively to coach Ato (Agustin). He communicates well with the players who in turn, give their best for him. He has a player’s mentality and that sets him apart from the others.”

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Former WBA superlightweight champion Morris East, now living in Las Vegas, was in Zab Judah’s corner when the Brooklyn stylist got up from a knockdown to score a split 12-round decision over Argentina’s Lucas Martin Matthysse for the vacant WBO and NABO lightwelterweight crown in New Jersey last Saturday.

Judah, 33, raised his record to 40-6, with 27 KOs, and gained the No. 2 ranking in the IBF and WBO in the 140-pound division. He has now won his last four outings. Three of his losses were to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao victims Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto.

East, 37, works out of the Hit Factory Gym and is one of Judah’s principal trainers. His father was in the US Navy and mother is Filipina. Boxing guru Hermie Rivera was East’s manager when the Olongapo City-born fighter came from behind to stop Japan’s Akinobu Hiranaka in the 11th round to wrest the WBA crown in Tokyo in 1992.

 East turned out to be a one-hit wonder as he lost the title in his first defense to Argentina’s Juan Martin Coggi on an eighth round stoppage in Buenos Aires the next year.