MANILA, Philippines -- The jersey of “The Spiderman” is now officially hanging from the rafters.
Arwind Santos’ iconic No. 29 jersey has officially been retired by the San Miguel Beermen on Wednesday.
The jersey ceremony was done at halftime of the game between the Beermen and the Blackwater Bossing.
Santos, who played for more than a decade with the San Miguel/Petron Blaze Boosters franchise, won a total of nine PBA championships and two Finals Most Valuable Player awards with the team.
The 6-foot-4 workhorse was also a former season MVP and multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year.
After the ceremony, Santos relished being just one of just a handful of Beermen who have had their jersey numbers retired.
“It is really a good feeling [to be among the San Miguel legends whose jersey numbers have been retired], because they are already legends,” the forward told reporters in Filipino.
“It is just a handful of players, and it is not easy to have your jersey retired. What I just wanted to do was to win and have a good life thanks to basketball and to be a champion. This, I did not think that an opportunity like this would come,” he added.
“I do not have any further wishes.”
After playing for the Air21 Express and the Burger King Whoppers, he was traded to San Miguel.
In 2021, Santos was shipped to the NorthPort Batang Pier and last year, he played for Pampanga in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Santos also did not rule out a possible return to the Beermen in the future.
“But it was a bit complicated. I understood that [my return] would be complicated because a contract or a trade is still needed. I focused on the message that I will have my jersey retired. With that message, I am already happy,” he said.
“My rights is still with NorthPort. [San Miguel] was willing to let me play, and I was supposed to play for at least a month, but talks fell through. I accepted it with no hard feelings,” he added, as he bared plans of coming back “next year.”