NBA veteran Shabazz Muhammad set to reinforce Meralco in PBA

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Meralco Bolts are going all out in the next conference of the Philippine Basketball Association as they bring in former NBA scorer Shabazz Muhammad.

Muhammad, who played in the NBA for five seasons, was a former 2013 14th overall pick and had stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Milwaukee Bucks.

After playing in the NBA, Muhammad found a new beginning in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) where he signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons and later on with the Shenzhen Aviators three years ago.

Muhammad was a known scorer in the NBA and the CBA and is seeking to continue his offensive prowess in the PBA.

Muhammad will be expected to perform at a high level especially that he will be filling the shoes of one of the league’s best imports, Allen Durham, who became Meralco’s staple import in the past years.

Durham will not be available for Meralco this time as he has a prior commitment to his team in the Japan B. league.

Meralco’s head coach Norman Black, who headed the imports scouting, stressed that he felt like Muhammad was the best fit for their system.

“We felt he was the best player available when we were recruiting. He has shown the ability to score the ball and proved to be a good rebounder in his stint in China,” Black said.