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Cyrus Baguio is resigning after 17 years.
The celebrated cager known to many as ‘Skyrus’ due to his acrobatic shot creation has decided to hang up his basketball shoes for good, ending a colorful PBA career highlighted by three championships.
The 40-year-old Baguio had already opened up about retirement before the 45 season that started last March, but wanted to go away winning a Philippine Cup title first with NLEX, as it is the only thing missing from his collection.
However, those plans did not materialize. The pandemic struck and the league resumed play in a bubble configuration at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. And the 6-foot-2 point guard decided not to play for personal reasons.
It was a pity that the Mindanaoan cage didn’t have the exit he had dreamed of. However, Baguio still had a career that could surely inspire the younger generation of fans.
The Santo Tomas University product was selected 14th overall by Red Bull in 2003. There, it emerged as an important part of the rotation and ultimately won its first championship after winning the 2005-06 Commissioner’s Cup. .
However, he was traded to Burger King and then Barangay Geneva before finding himself in Alaska, as he was traded for two-time MVP Willie Miller. And it is with the Aces where he would enjoy the glory, twice.
Baguio helped the Uytengsu-owned franchise win a couple of championships: first, the 2010 Fiesta Conference with the award-winning Tim Cone, and then the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup with Luigi Trillo.
He was named co-final MVP of that 2010 championship alongside LA Tenorio after his impressive performances against then-defending champion San Miguel, who was reinforced by Gabe Freeman.
But after six stellar years with Alaska, he was sent to Phoenix along with a 2017 second-round pick for 2017 and 2018 second-round picks. He played for the Fuel Masters for one season before being sent to the Road Warriors.
That deal saw him meet Yeng Guiao, the same coach who caught him in the 2003 draft proceedings. And together, they would help the MVP Group-owned franchise reach unprecedented heights.
Baguio was far from his old self when he arrived at NLEX, but he still displayed the same brilliance that made him love the fans, being one of the veterans who helped the youngsters steer the boat into the semifinals of the 2018 Philippine Cup.
It was not only in the PBA that Baguio made his mark. He also represented the country abroad, being part of the Powerade Team Pilipinas guided by Guiao who played in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.
