By REYNALD MAGALLON
Sean Anthony has called it a career after 14 seasons in the PBA, the former Mythical Team member and Defensive Player of the Year made the announcement in a LinkedIn post on Sunday, Sept. 14.
The 39-year-old forward actually still got an extension offer from NLEX but decided to decline it as his family moved to Vancouver, Canada to focus on the recovery of his son from cancer.
“Saying goodbye to something you love is one of the hardest things to do, which is probably why it has taken me so long to share this. But here it goes: I am officially retiring from basketball,” Anthony wrote.
“Earlier this year, when we found out my son had cancer, I turned down my extension with the NLEX Road Warriors and moved to Singapore to focus on getting him healthy.”
“Seven months later, and after six rounds of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, I’m beyond grateful to say that my son is now cancer-free! Our family has since relocated to Vancouver, Canada, where he will continue post-treatment monitoring and care,” he added.
Anthony played for eight teams throughout a fruitful 14-year career that began when he entered the league as the sixth overall pick by Powerade in the 2010 rookie draft.
He was part of the Tigers Cinderella run in the 2012 season where the team coached by Bo Perasol and bannered by then rookies Marcio Lassiter, Jvee Casio and veteran Gary David went as far as the Finals after finishing the eliminations as an eighth seed.
Anthony however enjoyed his best years during his stint with GlobalPort where went on to win the defensive player award and a mythical first team citation.
Anthony earned a master’s in business administration and now works as a senior consultant for an advisory services company. The forward, known to be a hard worker and hustle player for his no nonsense approach, hopes to give back to the PBA someday.
“Basketball has been a cornerstone of my life since I was a kid, and being able to live out my childhood dream for 15 years has been the greatest gift. Thank you to the management, coaches, teammates, and especially the fans for your support throughout my journey,” he added.
“I will always love the game and the PBA, and I hope that one day, when life settles, I can give back to the sport and the community that has given me so much.”
