GILAS Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes admitted being aware of calls by fans to wear black shirts during the TNT-Converge quarterfinals game as a form of protest for the current mess that the national team is in.
Reyes said he’s been made aware on the eve of the game by someone close to him about the plan, which he described as ‘unfortunate.’
“I prepared myself emotionally and mentally if it does happen,” the TNT mentor disclosed Wednesday following the game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum which the Tropang GIGA won, 116-95, to clinch a place in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
[See Chot thanks SBP chief for vote of confidence]
He added the players appeared to be aware about the matter too, and heard them talking about it inside the dugout even though the veteran coach didn’t touch on the matter during his pre-game talk.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why they played that well,” Reyes said.
Fans wearing black shirts were actually scattered inside the Big Dome, although no loud chants against Reyes was heard as irate fans had vowed to do to protest the failure of Gilas to defend the basketball gold in the recent 31st Southeast Asian Games and a ninth place finish in the FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta.
Without criticizing the people behind it, Reyes instead asked that fans just continue support Philippine basketball through both good times and bad.
“If we really love Philippine basketball, let’s just support it. Let’s support it and go all out and help,” he said.
“But yes, I did hear about it.”
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