TNT signs stable San Beda big man Joe Celzo

The TNT Tropang 5G have officially added rookie forward Joe Celzo to their active roster as the team continues to fortify its frontcourt options for the rest of the league’s 50th season.

Celzo, a 6-foot-4 power forward and the most recent draft selection of TNT in the fourth round (No. 46 overall) of the PBA Season 50 Draft, has arrived in camp and is already participating in team practices and scrimmages under the supervision of TNT’s coaching staff. 

According to TNT deputy coach Yuri Escueta, who also coached Celzo during his collegiate career with the San Beda Red Lions, the rookie has agreed to terms and is now under contract with the franchise. 

Celzo’s signing comes as TNT looks to strengthen its interior rotation and provide additional versatility in its frontcourt mix, a unit that has faced inconsistency at times during the Philippine Cup. 

The Tropang 5G currently sit among the playoff contenders, and management hopes that having more bodies to contribute will pay dividends over the course of a demanding campaign. 

However, Celzo was not included in TNT’s 15-man lineup for the Philippine Cup playoffs after arriving just beyond the deadline for roster submission.

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Meralco needs to adjust to how the refs are officiating their PBA Philippine Cup semis series against TNT. pic.twitter.com/huIQqOwme6

— Homer Sayson (@HomerSayson) January 5, 2026

Escueta said the timing simply did not allow TNT to adjust its submitted roster, but the team remains optimistic the young forward will be eligible for action in the next conference. 

Even with the exclusion from the playoff roster, Celzo has been practicing with the team throughout the ongoing series and has already seen limited action in tune-up scenarios, including during game warmups and intra-squad work. 

TNT defeated the Meralco Bolts, 100–95, in the quarterfinals opener after rallying from a big early deficit

The San Beda product joins a growing list of Red Lions alumni now navigating the ranks of the PBA. 

Celzo’s former teammates, Yukien Andrada and Bryan Sajonia, were also selected in the recent draft, with Andrada going in the first round to Magnolia Hotshots and Sajonia taken in the fourth by Northport/Titan Ultra.

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