JETT Manuel insisted his decision to retire in the PBA at the end of his rookie year won't change even after a big game for Mighty Sports during the bronze-medal match of the Dubai International Championship.
Manuel was instrumental in Mighty Sports’ 91-76 win over Homenetmen last Saturday as he had 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting to help the Philippine squad finish with a bronze medal in the tournament.
Is that enough for him to reconsider his decision to retire in the PBA?
“I’m sticking with my decision,” said the former Ginebra forward.
Manuel, however, said he remains open to playing once again for Mighty Sports if he is invited again for club competitions in the future.
“But for Mighty Sports, my door is always open because of my relationship with them beyond basketball,” Manuel said.
Manuel said he is also surprised with the way he played in the final game of the tournament, where he shot a perfect 7-of-7 from two-point range in 19 minutes off the bench.
“Funny enough, I played one of my best professional games in my career in my last game,” said Manuel. “I didn’t realize how many points I scored and that I wasn’t missing during the game. Felt great just to compete out there internationally and get a chance to represent the country."
Manuel said he and the rest of the team were determined to win the bronze medal after a solid campaign in the Dubai competition where Mighty Sports swept the group stage and won a quarterfinal match.
“We didn’t make it to the finals but I wanted to get the bronze for all the kababayans that supported us throughout the tournament in Dubai, and also for our team owner uncle Cesar Wongchuking. Mentally, I was just prepared to do whatever it took to win that game,” said Manuel.
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