MANILA, Philippines – As he retires from the PBA as one of its most prolific imports, Allen Durham looked back fondly on his decade-long stint.
A three-time Best Import awardee with the Meralco Bolts, Durham confirmed to Rappler that he has concluded his time in the PBA as he plans to fully retire from basketball next year.
“Coming into this year’s PBA Governors’ Cup, I knew this was my last time playing here in the Philippines,” Durham told Rappler. “So obviously, I wanted to go out and try to win the championship.”
“On the court we definitely underachieved, but we had some key injuries at crucial times and it hurt us, but that’s part of the game,” he added.
“But honestly, I really came back because I wanted to compete with my brothers again and create more memories because nothing lasts forever. So that was really important for me. Meralco was not only my team, they are family!”
Once a sleepy franchise at the backend of the MVP bloc, Durham took the team to new heights, leading the Bolts to their first three PBA finals appearances, only to fall short every time to rival Justin Brownlee and Barangay Ginebra.
The two would cross paths once again this year before Durham’s PBA career ended at the hands of Brownlee and Ginebra through a 3-0 sweep in this conference’s quarterfinals.
Durham played his final game for the Bolts in the East Asia Super League (EASL) last October 16, scoring 14 points in a 77-74 loss against his former team Ryukyu in Okinawa, Japan.
Before Durham returns home to Michigan in the United States on Thursday, October 31, the franchise threw a thanksgiving party for him at the company headquarters in Pasig on Tuesday, October 29.
Durham was feted as the league’s best reinforcement three times in the 2016, 2017, and 2020 editions of the Governors’ Cup.
The 36-year-old shared that playing in Game 7 of the 2017 Governors’ Cup finals was his most memorable moment in the league, where a then-record crowd of 54,086 packed the mammoth Philippine Arena ended up seeing Justin Brownlee and Ginebra hoist the trophy.
Pitted against each for almost a decade, Brownlee had recently spoken fondly of his on-court rival, even saying that the 36-year-old Durham was bound to win a PBA championship.
“I can’t say I feel bad because we’re competitors and that comes with the game. I would say his effort is definitely not a losing effort,” said Brownlee after Ginebra’s Game 3 win last September 30.
“If he continues doing what he’s doing, I think at some point, he’s going to break through and be successful in this league and maybe win a championship.”
Well-traveled
Despite falling short in the PBA, Durham reckoned himself as a decorated player internationally, winning awards at various stops across the world.
Prior to his PBA return, he was named Japan B.League Finals Most Valuable Player in 2023 after leading the Ryukyu Golden Kings to the championship.
In France, Durham was named Defensive Player of the Year, an All-First Team member, and an All-Import team member twice in the second-tier French LNB Pro B League.
Durham also played in Romania, Finland, Israel, Uruguay, Korea, and the NBA G League.
The pride of Grace Bible College in Michigan, Durham holds several records there as the school’s career leader in scoring, rebounding, and blocking. — Rappler.com