Calvin Oftana cautions against high expectations for TNT import Bol Bol

The arrival of Bol Bol has instantly made TNT one of the most talked-about teams ahead of the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

But for Tropang Giga forward Calvin Oftana, the presence of the 7-foot-3 former NBA big man doesn’t automatically translate to a championship repeat.

Speaking on the sidelines of the PBA All-Star Weekend, Oftana stressed that reputation alone won’t decide the outcome of games once the conference begins.

“Hindi naman porke ganito yung import ninyo, ganun ang import ninyo,” said Oftana.

“Pagdating naman kasi sa laro iba na yung mindset nun. Lahat gustong manalo.”

The Gilas Pilipinas forward admitted he has yet to spend much time on the court with Bol as he was busy with national team duties during the recent FIBA World Cup qualifiers before turning his attention to rehabilitating an ankle injury.

Because of that, Oftana said he hasn’t been able to fully gauge where the towering reinforcement currently stands in terms of conditioning.

“So far OK naman siya pero sabi nga nila wala raw sa kundisyon,” he said.

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Fresh off their #GilasPilipinas stint in the second window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, Juan Gomez De Liaño, Calvin Oftana, and Chris Newsome join the festivities at the 2026 PBA All-Star Weekend in Candon, Ilocos Sur. | via Jan Ballesteros/One Sports#PBA50 pic.twitter.com/cOCXcsMzZZ

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) March 6, 2026

Fortunately for TNT, the team still has time to build chemistry before opening its campaign. The Tropang Giga are scheduled to play their first game of the conference on March 20 against Rain or Shine.

Despite the attention surrounding Bol’s arrival, Oftana shared that the South Sudanese-American has kept a low-key presence within the team.

“Approachable naman siya, pero mahinhin,” said the former NCAA MVP from San Beda.

“Pero ganun naman ang mga import. Dati si Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) ganun din naman. Pero kalaunan nung naglalaro na kami, nakukuha na namin yung loob niya. And napapatawa na siya ng mga kasama ko.”

Even as TNT prepares to defend its crown, Oftana believes the road to another title will be far from easy.

He pointed to several contenders who could stand in the way of the Tropang Giga’s bid, including powerhouse teams San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra, along with guest squad Macau Black Bears.

“Maraming quality imports na dumating ngayon this conference,” Oftana admitted.

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