Revisiting NorthPort's wasted stars

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial announced during the media day of the league's 50th season that the acquisition of the NorthPort franchise is expected to finalize by Monday, with the team rebranding as Pureblends. This move is highly anticipated and viewed as a fresh start for the PBA.

NorthPort has long been considered a laughing stock in the league due to questionable player trade decisions that hindered the team's progress. The franchise is known less for building a competitive squad and more for being a stopover where players' primes were wasted, careers were cut short, or they moved on to better teams.

Stanley Pringle emerged as NorthPort's brightest star during his five-year stay, showcasing elite guard skills, including a memorable 50-point game in 2018. However, the team failed to surround him with sufficient talent, wasting his prime and leading to his trade to Barangay Ginebra without any deep playoff runs.

Christian Standhardinger's arrival in 2019 brought brief success, as he powered NorthPort to its first semifinal appearance and won the Best Player of the Conference award. But his impact was short-lived, as he was traded after only two conferences, underscoring the franchise's failure to retain key players for continuity.

Robert Bolick, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, became a focal point after Pringle's departure, displaying strong scoring and playmaking abilities. Yet, NorthPort repeated past mistakes by not building a adequate supporting cast around him, leading to his eventual move overseas and trade to NLEX.

Terrence Romeo was the franchise's star before the NorthPort era, earning back-to-back scoring titles and forming an exciting backcourt with Pringle. Despite his individual accolades, the team never achieved significant success, and his trade to TNT marked another missed opportunity for long-term contention.