Sad day for Philippine basketball.
Gilbert Bulawan, 29, suffered a massive cardiac arrest during the Elite’s Sunday afternoon practice at the SG Stadium in Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.
The 6-foot-4 Blackwater forward collapsed in the arms of his teammate Reil Cervantes during practice and was eventually pronounced dead on arrival at Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City.
“Bad news, Bulawan nag-collapse sa ensayo. Dead on arrival dito sa Capitol,” Elite’s team owner, Dioceldo Sy, told Fox Sports on Sunday.
(“Bad news, Bulawan collapsed during practice. Dead on arrival here in Capitol.”)
Sy said that the team initially thought that Balawan was joking around, but they were surprised to find him unconscious.
“Makulit pa siya bago mag-start ng practice, yung typical na Gilbert Bulawan na kilala namin,” added Sy.
(“He was still playful before practice started, like the typical Gilbert Bulawan we knew.”)
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) confirmed the news via the league’s Facebook page.
“We are very saddened to hear of the passing of one of our beloved players and a member of our PBA family, Gilbert Bulawan. On behalf of the PBA, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and I would like to request everyone to pray for his eternal and peaceful rest,” said PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa said in a statement
Bulawan played for the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Men’s Senior Basketball team from 2006 to 2010.
Bulawan was selected by Blackwater in the 2014 Expansion Draft.
