Globetrotting Tony Bishop will take the place of former NBA player Shabazz Muhammad as Meralco’s import for the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup, coach Norman Black confirmed Sunday, Nov. 21.
Black said Muhammad, who once played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, had to beg off at the last minute due to a “family emergency,” prompting the Bolts to secure the services of the 32-year-old Bishop.
Bishop had been on Meralco’s radar until Muhammad agreed to reinforce the team for the second conference.
“Tony was one of the imports we’ve been talking to until Shabazz agreed to play for us,” said Black.
Bishop played college ball at Richland College from 2007 to 2009 before moving to Texas State for two more seasons.
He had pro stints in Denmark, Lithuania, Germany, Japan, Romania and Puerto Rico, Bishop’s most recent stop.
An American-born Panamanian, Bishop also represented the Central American nation in several FIBA competitions, namely the 2016 Centrobasket and the 2017 AmeriCup.
Black said Bishop was four days removed from playing for Mets de Guaynabo where he was a teammate of ex-PBA and San Miguel Alab Pilipinas reinforcement Renaldo Balkman.
The Bolts initially got Muhammad to suit up for the conference, with resident import Allen Durham playing for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan’s B.League.
It looked like Muhammad was already set to fly to Manila as he already secured a visa at the Philippine consulate in California.
But Black got a call from Muhammad’s agent, saying that the five-year NBA veteran had to back out.