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PBA: Shifting from contender to winless pretender, Fonacier sees a little Alapag in him

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Dominic Menor, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/05/08/050817-fonacier.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Larry Fonacier enjoyed the most success of his pro career in seven years with TNT. He moves to NLEX embracing a new role, that of a mentor. <cite>Photo courtesy of the PBA Media Bureau</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Whatever Larry Fonacier saw in his first practice with NLEX on Monday, it was, as he said, &quot;night and day&quot; compared to what he was used to from his previous team.Fonacier said he was &quot;in playoff mode&quot; when TNT management on Friday told him the team was shipping him out. GlobalPort would pick him up, before he eventually landed with NLEX, a team that&#x27;s winless in eight games in the PBA Commissioner&#x27;s Cup.Instead of moping, he embraced the drastic change of scenery.&quot;This team is in a crisis obviously,&quot; Fonacier told ABS-CBN News from NLEX&#x27;s practice facility at FCL Center in Quezon City. &quot;There&#x27;s a huge opportunity here. That&#x27;s the way I look at it.&quot;Fonacier said he has never been part of such an abrupt shift in his career, but his familiarity with the NLEX coach should help him ease into his new environment.Under Yeng Guiao, Fonacier won Rookie of the Year in 2006 and his first championship as a pro in the 2006 Fiesta Conference.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/basketball/news/2017/05/07/a-final-salute-major-pain-25703">READ: A final salute to Major Pain</a></li></ul>For a team that&#x27;s still acclimating to a new coaching style and has just one win in 19 games this season to show for, NLEX brings in a player who has a proper feel for Guiao&#x27;s system and can help better communicate the coach&#x27;s demands with those who are new to it.&quot;They just need players to show how it&#x27;s done under him,&quot; Fonacier said. &quot;I guess that&#x27;s why they put me here and I welcome the challenge.&quot;He spent two seasons with Red Bull then moved to Magnolia and Alaska, before he hooked up with TNT, where he enjoyed the most success. He won five championships there, including the 2011-12 Philippine Cup Finals MVP.The transition from a franchise that&#x27;s used to competing for first place to NLEX is jarring, but Fonacier said he has seen this before with a former TNT teammate.&quot;I&#x27;m looking at Jimmy (Alapag) and what happened to him when he went (from TNT) to Meralco. It&#x27;s kind of my inspiration right now, that he went to a struggling team looking for a leader and couldn&#x27;t get over the top,&quot; Fonacier said. &quot;At this point in my career, obviously I want to win. But then I also see the need for the younger guys to be guided by someone. Maybe that&#x27;s me.&quot;For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">Sports website.</a>

Larry Fonacier enjoyed the most success of his pro career in seven years with TNT. He moves to NLEX embracing a new role, that of a mentor.

Larry Fonacier enjoyed the most success of his pro career in seven years with TNT. He moves to NLEX embracing a new role, that of a mentor.

PBA: Shifting from contender to winless pretender, Fonacier sees a little Alapag in him

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PBA: Shifting from contender to winless pretender, Fonacier sees a little Alapag in him

Dominic Menor,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 08, 2017 10:36 PM PHT

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PBA

NLEX

TNT

Larry Fonacier

Yeng Guiao

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