Meralco sends out Alan Durham as longtime import retires – Sports Interactive Network Philippines

ALLEN Durham called it a career.

The 36-year-old longtime Meralco Bolts import decided to retire from the game and spend more time with his family, especially his two growing children.

Coach Luigi Trillo confirmed Durham’s decision to Spin.ph after the organization held a send-off party for the three-time PBA Best Import, who is set to return to the US on Thursday.

“AD has decided to retire and just feels the time is right. He wants to spend time with his children, Trillo said.

MORE FROM SPIN

Durham’s final walk away from the game he loves so much came at a time when he couldn’t get the Bolts back to the Governors’ Cup finals as they were swept by longtime rival Justin Brownlee and the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the best game -five quarterfinal series.

While power and ferocity remain staples for Durham, it was evident that the import was a mere shadow of his lethal form upon his return to the franchise four years after last playing for Meralco.

At his peak, ‘Hulk’ was a force to be reckoned with and led the team to the Governors’ Cup finals three times – all of which he received the Best Import award.

Durham was part of the Meralco team that played in front of a then-record crowd of 54,089 at the Philippine Arena during the decisive Game 7 of the 2017 season-ending conference.

Trillo believes all those losses in the finals set the stage for the Bolts to finally win their first league title during the last Philippine Cup.

“He was a big part of making Meralco basketball what it is today. I don’t think we would have won if it wasn’t for the foundation all these years. AD was a part of that,” said Trillo, who filled in for then-head coach Norman Black in the team’s three previous finals appearances.

During the send-off, the entire team praised Durham for all he has done for the franchise, as captain Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, Anjo Karam and Bong Quinto spoke superlatives about the soft-spoken import.

“I’m glad I went to war with him,” Trillo added.

The Meralco coach recalled Durham carrying the Bolts on his broad shoulders the three times they played in the finals as injuries dogged the team.

The import even had to play through injuries for Meralco to be competitive during one title run.

PHOTO: EASL

“One of those Finals ADs played hurt in Game 4 and he was put on pain meds to play Games 4 and 5,” Trillo said.

Durham was supposed to return and play for Meralco in late 2020, but the pandemic shut down the league and plans to reunite flew out the window.

Since imports were not yet allowed to fly and play in the PBA, he decided to move to the Japanese B. League and found a new home with the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Durham also had a stellar career with the Golden Kings, with whom he won a championship in three Finals appearances.

“He went to three Finals and had one championship while being named Finals MVP,” Trillo said of Durham’s time in Japan.

With the Bolts coming off a championship season and Durham not returning to the Ryukyu, Meralco decided to bring him back for one more game.

But once again, injuries hurt Meralco’s campaign as big man Raymond Almazan played sparingly and Allein Maliksi, Aaron Black and rookie CJ Cansino missed the entire playoffs.

After his stint in the Governors Cup, Durham played for Meralco in the East Asian Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2 and helped the Bolts win their debut game against the Macau Black Bears, 92-85, but lost to their former B. Ryukyu League team, 77-74, in their homecoming at Okinawa Arena.

Shortly after the loss to the Golden Kings, Durham decided it was time to hang up his cleats.

“He felt he had to retire after the Japan game. The reception is in Kanya (in Japan),” Trillo said.

“They say there’s a time to step away from the game and AD felt this was the time, the right time.”

A product of Grace Christian University in Wyoming, Durham’s first stint in Asia’s oldest professional league was with the Barako Bulls during the 2014 Governors’ Cup, in which he helped the franchise reach the playoffs but lost to TNT in the first round .

Two years after he returned and started wearing Meralco’s signature orange and blue jersey.

From then on it was history.

Get more of the latest sports news and updates on SPIN.ph