MANILA, Philippines – King James can put off retirement. 

After agreeing to a one-conference contract with the baseball team, JAMES Yap will continue to play for Rain or Shine.

After entering politics and winning a seat on the San Juan municipal council, the 41-year-old Yap is back after agreeing to a comparable contract at the previous conference.

Yap, who joined the Elasto Painters in 2016 from Magnolia in a trade for Paul Lee, averaged 5.2 points and shot 28.6 percent from outside the arc in his Governors’ Cup comeback.

The two-time PBA MVP had already begun practicing with Rain or Shine in front of the Commissioner’s Cup, which is scheduled for early November, before agreeing to the new contract.

Meanwhile: Fran Yu played for NorthPort in the PBA On Tour and had a stellar college career with the Knights, yet he managed to fall all the way to the fourth round of the draft at number 40 overall.

Despite being selected in the fourth round of the PBA draft, Fran Yu, the feisty guard from Letran, has been able to turn around his career. His chances initially seemed bleak, but he used his persuasive abilities to persuade Bonnie Tan, the NorthPort administration, as well as his former Letran coach, that he deserved to be in the starting lineup.

Yu’s story of perseverance and self-belief in getting a PBA contract is an inspiration. Danny Espiritu, Yu’s agent, responded when asked about the details of Yu’s rookie contract, “Hindi bababa sa P100,000 a month in the first year,” underscoring NorthPort’s dedication to the young player.

Fran Yu became the 79th player chosen in the draft to sign a contract with the PBA as a result of this signing, which was an important occasion in the draft. He emulated Kamron Vigan-Fleming, who, despite being selected 61st overall, was able to sign a contract with Converge.

Fran Yu’s agreement to a two-year contract with NorthPort demonstrates how much his potential and talent are valued by the organization. It’s a credit to his perseverance and hard work that he was able to rise from a PBA roster slot being secured from a relatively low draft position.

Yu’s story serves as a motivational model for aspiring basketball players, illustrating how one can overcome early losses and achieve their goals in the cutthroat world of professional basketball with tenacity, persistence, and the appropriate opportunity.