James Yap thanks Purefoods, fans after trade

Admitting he was saddened by a trade sending him out of the Purefoods franchise, PBA superstar James Yap on Thursday took to social media to thank the team and the fans who supported him during his 12 seasons.

"Nakakalungkot man pero gusto ko mgthank u sa purefoods sa tiwala & pagalaga sakin," he wrote on Twitter.

He also posted a picture of his jersey on Instagram along with a message for the team's fans.

"Maraming salamat sa Purefoods family ko sa lahat ng tiwala at sa pagalaga nyo sa akin sa 12 years. Salamat sa purefoods fans sa suporta at pagmamahal. It has been a wonderful ride! Maraming salamat at God bless! #starhotshots #familyismorethanblood" he wrote.

Yap was dealt by the squad to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in exchange for star guard Paul Lee. The deal came as a shock to the fans of the team currently known as the Star Hotshots, as Yap has been the face of the team for his whole stint there.

He won two Most Valuable Player awards and seven championships with Purefoods.

Yap joins a Rain or Shine team in flux after the recent departure of coach Yeng Guiao, who will move to NLEX. He is no stranger to his new franchise, having played for Welcoat in the amateur ranks.

"Im excited 2 play sa ROS. Sa lahat, God bless & kitakits!" he said. —JST, GMA News