A decade later, TNT coach Chot Reyes is glad to be proven right about the potential of Stephen Holt.
The former Gilas Pilipinas coach recalled the time when he tried to recruit the Filipino-American playmaker for the national team in 2014.
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Ten years later, the No. 1 overall pick in the last PBA Draft proved to be a thorn in the side of the Tropang Giga, dropping 24 points, four triples, eight boards, seven assists, and one steal without a turnover in almost 40 minutes of play in Terrafirma’s loss to TNT in the PBA Philippine Cup on Saturday.
“Stephen Holt is finding his place,” Reyes said after the game. “I’ve always known Stephen would be a very good player.”
Reyes recalled paying Holt a visit in his school in Moraga, California.
“I went and personally visited Saint Mary’s College,” Reyes said. “As far back as ten years ago, I was already talking to this guy because I knew he was going to be a really, really good point guard, especially for Gilas.”
Holt was already 22 when Reyes tried to recruit him, but he would’ve still been eligible for Gilas as the Hagop rule that required potential national players to secure passports before the age of 16 was yet to take effect.
“Pwede sana siya, but it never panned out,” Reyes said.
Nevertheless, it’s never too late for Holt to finally represent his mom, Jackie’s, country, through Asia’s oldest professional league.
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