Slaughter bids Ginebra goodbye

MANILA, Philippines — Big man Greg Slaughter, subject of trade rumors since the latter part of last season, said he was leaving Barangay Ginebra and taking a breather from basketball.

The 7-foot Slaughter made known his decision not to renew his just-expired contract with the reigning PBA Governors’ Cup champions and will give himself time to do some soul-searching.

“Now that my contract has expired, I’ve decided to take a break to be able to work on myself in all aspects,” he posted on Instagram yesterday.

Slaughter, who has been with the crowd darlings since being drafted in the first round in 2013, made the announcement in the wake of reports that Ginebra is ready to ship him elsewhere. The name of Christian Standhardinger, now playing for NorthPort, is being mentioned as a possible replacement for Slaughter.

“I may not know what the future holds, but one thing is for sure, the best is yet to come!” said Slaughter.

The 31-year-old Slaughter leaves the Gin Kings’ camp a month after helping them regain the season-ending crown.

“Six years, four championships, a lifetime of experiences and memories, It’s been a fun ride being with this team. I will forever be proud to have played for Ginebra, a dream of mine that came true when they drafted me in 2013,” said Slaughter, who once won Best Player of the Conference with Ginebra.