CHRIS Tiu truly kept his word when he decided to walk way from basketball and retire from the PBA in 2018.
Save for a year where he played in the Xavier alumni league back in 2019, the six-year PBA veteran made the conscious effort of walking away from the game as he focused on his other business ventures.
“I really haven’t played, not even touched the ball, not even pick up games,” he said, adding that the pandemic made it easier for him to divert his attention elsewhere. “Talagang I set in my mind na I’ll do other things, play tennis, play golf. I wanted to try other things."
“Sa isip ko, di ko na kaya at mabagal na. Mafu-frustrate lang ako sa sarili ko kasi alam ko na dati kaya ko pa pero ngayon, hindi na. Baka ma-injure lang ako, baka di pa maka-golf at maka-trabaho ng maayos.”
But the call from his alma mater to once again don the familiar blue-and-golds was just a request too hard to resist.
“I totally didn’t expect to be playing again,” the 5-foot-11 playmaker said.
“I was in Canada vacationing last April when I got the call kasi kailangan daw ng tulong dahil wala si TY [Tang], for the school din. So in Canada, I was able to shoot a bit and parang kaya pa so I told them, sige I’ll try to play but don’t expect much. I was just very cautious not to get hurt.”
It’s like riding a bike once again for Tiu, turning 40 this month, that despite his time away from the game, he’s same Chris Tiu that people came to know and love.
'Tiu still got it'
Posting 19.3 points on 33-percent shooting from deep, to go with 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals, Tiu emerged as one of the leaders for Xavier-Acrocity x Zhoosh as the Golden Stallions wound up as runner-up in the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. (FCAAI) 40s Division.
Tiu’s court comeback provided the former Ateneo star a chance to reconnect with his old teammates in Xavier including fellow ex-pro Joseph Yeo.
“Yung samahan talaga ng team. You know us naman sa Xavier, very cliquish yung brotherhood namin and most of them are former teammates ko nung grade school pa and we haven’t played together for so long. So it’s nice to reconnect again and play for the school,” he said.
But more than that, it was also an opportunity for Tiu to show what he’s made of for his two daughters.
“I want my kids to see me play,” he stated. “One is nine years old and the other is seven, so when I was playing in the PBA, sobrang bata pa nila and they barely had any recollection and understanding. Pero ngayon na nagkaka-interes na sila, now that they can see me play, baka ma-inspire pa sila and magka-hilig. That’s why I’m here.”
As great of a feeling as Tiu had in reliving his glory days in Xavier, he admitted that he doesn’t expect himself to be back in the grind any time soon.
“Baka I’ll just play in this league once a year, 40s and up naman,” he said, smiling.
“I said from the start that my goal is to not get hurt kasi baka di pa ako maka-tennis, maka-golf, or maka-trabaho. Ang hirap din to keep up and do many other things, so at least I can get in shape for one and two months in advance and play, enjoy the game, and not kill myself on the court by going too hard on my body.”
“At the end of the day, it’s really for the camaraderie.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
