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Coach Bajramovic Hopes For Eastern Comeback In PBA's 50th Season: 'We Miss Playing Here'
Photo credit: PBA
Looks like Coach Mensur Bajramovic isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the PBA just yet.
After spending the weekend in the Philippines and catching the Meralco vs. NLEX Philippine Cup game at the Philsports Arena, the Eastern coach admitted that the whole experience brought back good memories—and a strong desire to return.
“We enjoyed playing here (last conference). And now it reminds me (after watching the game). I hope we will have a chance to play again,” said Bajramovic, who previously coached the Bosnia national team and now leads Hong Kong’s Eastern squad.
The 59-year-old Bosnian tactician was in town to visit long-time friend Nenad Vucinic, who happens to be the active consultant for the Meralco Bolts—who, by the way, dominated that game with a 108-92 win over NLEX.
Eastern made waves in their PBA debut during the last Commissioner’s Cup as a guest team, even topping the standings early in the conference. With familiar names from the now-defunct Bay Area Dragons—like Glen Yang, Kobe Lam, and Hayden Blankley—plus imports Cameron Clark and Chris McLaughlin, Eastern looked promising.
But juggling commitments between their domestic league in Hong Kong and the East Asia Super League proved to be too much. Fatigue eventually caught up with them, and they dropped to seventh place by the end of the eliminations. Facing second-seed TNT in the quarterfinals, Eastern needed to win twice to advance. Unfortunately, TNT shut the door early with a 109-93 blowout.
Still, Bajramovic isn’t ruling out a comeback—especially with the PBA’s 50th anniversary season on the horizon.
“It’s a decision we have to make, the club I mean,” he said, before flying back to Hong Kong on Monday.
The PBA had previously signed a two-season deal with Eastern, so a return is definitely on the table. And with Bajramovic clearly feeling the PBA vibes again, don’t be surprised if Eastern makes another run—this time, hopefully with fresher legs and a full tank.
After spending the weekend in the Philippines and catching the Meralco vs. NLEX Philippine Cup game at the Philsports Arena, the Eastern coach admitted that the whole experience brought back good memories—and a strong desire to return.
“We enjoyed playing here (last conference). And now it reminds me (after watching the game). I hope we will have a chance to play again,” said Bajramovic, who previously coached the Bosnia national team and now leads Hong Kong’s Eastern squad.
The 59-year-old Bosnian tactician was in town to visit long-time friend Nenad Vucinic, who happens to be the active consultant for the Meralco Bolts—who, by the way, dominated that game with a 108-92 win over NLEX.
Eastern made waves in their PBA debut during the last Commissioner’s Cup as a guest team, even topping the standings early in the conference. With familiar names from the now-defunct Bay Area Dragons—like Glen Yang, Kobe Lam, and Hayden Blankley—plus imports Cameron Clark and Chris McLaughlin, Eastern looked promising.
But juggling commitments between their domestic league in Hong Kong and the East Asia Super League proved to be too much. Fatigue eventually caught up with them, and they dropped to seventh place by the end of the eliminations. Facing second-seed TNT in the quarterfinals, Eastern needed to win twice to advance. Unfortunately, TNT shut the door early with a 109-93 blowout.
Still, Bajramovic isn’t ruling out a comeback—especially with the PBA’s 50th anniversary season on the horizon.
“It’s a decision we have to make, the club I mean,” he said, before flying back to Hong Kong on Monday.
The PBA had previously signed a two-season deal with Eastern, so a return is definitely on the table. And with Bajramovic clearly feeling the PBA vibes again, don’t be surprised if Eastern makes another run—this time, hopefully with fresher legs and a full tank.
May 26, 2025
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