At this point in his career, LA Tenorio no longer expected to get a call up to the national team.
That's why it came as a surprise to the 34-year-old Tenorio when new Gilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao named him to the pool for the next window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Tuesday.
The Ginebra playmaker, though, was glad nonetheless for another - and likely the last - tour of duty for the country.
"I was a bit surprised to be included in the pool, although I've been hearing about it," he said in Filipino.
"And now that I'm officially part of the 20-man pool, I'm happy and excited. This is probably my last stint in the national team."
Tenorio last played for Gilas in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, which came on the heels of the country's historic return to the World Cup in Spain.
The 5-foot-9 point guard from Nasugbu, Batangas got a call-up again two years later when the country competed in the Olympic Qualifiers. Unfortunately, Tenorio and Calvin Abueva were the last cuts of coach Tab Baldwin.
Although two years removed from national team duties, Tenorio is confident he still has gas left in the tank.
"I said maybe it's time the veterans suit up again," he said in jest, while mentioning fellow veterans in Jayson Castro and Arwind Santos.
He added, "I'm very thankful to SBP and the PBA and to coach Yeng for including me in the national pool. Rest assured that I will do my best and we just have to play and set aside all the issues and everything. We just have to play and do our best."
He will join a pool that features other top guards in the PBA in Jayson Castro, Paul Lee, Alex Cabagnot, and Stanley Pringle, who will serve as a naturalized player. Although Andray Blatche is not part of the roster, the team is not lacking in big men with June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, and Christian Standhardinger.