CHICAGO -- After beating Ginebra in a grueling six-game series last Friday, TNT's successful Governors' Cup title defense marked the return of Chot Reyes to the summit of PBA coaching.
It was the 10th title for both Reyes and the franchise, and their second in four conferences. But for reasons beyond recency bias, this latest trophy was the most satisfying
This wasn't just about topping a 12-team field, it was also a referendum on how the signature franchise of the MVP Group will navigate a future also without Mikey Williams.
In his 87-game stint with TNT, the former PBA Rookie of the Year and All-Star managed to capture two championships and two Finals MVP awards.
But after invoking a renegotiation clause in his contract and leaving for the US last April 2023, Williams never returned.
READ: Through ‘learning experience,’ Chot Reyes, TNT overcome adversity
GONE TOO LONG.
In the 568 days since he last played in the league – a 38-point Game 6 Finals-clinching gem versus Ginebra last April 21, 2023 -- the Tropa tried to faithfully, incessantly win their disgruntled star back, for obvious reasons.
Warts and all, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound sharpshooter was a generational talent, an effortless scorer whose offense covered up the multitude of sins a defense commits.
Without him, TNT was left with that nagging feeling of wrestling with all the "what ifs," haunting them in their sleep like skeletons lurking in the closet.
But beating Ginebra with newfound might on defense, plus the rise of young stars such as Calvin Oftana and Rey Nambatac, proved that TNT no longer has the desperate longing for Mikey.
"We've gotten over him already," coach Chot told me in a telephone interview Saturday night.
"PARTING IS A SWEET SORROW"
After having previously admitted that TNT no longer had any contact with Mikey's chosen representatives in the Philippines for at least "seven months" the Tropa are now ready to cut the umbilical cord that once tied them like an inseparable, happy family.
"We are open to trading his rights," Reyes said with the conviction of a leader who can no longer spare the time, emotion and energy to a contract impasse that is heading nowhere.
But just because Williams is dead as a door knob in the eyes of TNT, it doesn't mean they're just giving away the fourth pick of the 2020 PBA draft.
"It has to be a good deal for us," the former Gilas head coach asserted.
Meanwhile, a member of Williams' camp told me that "Mikey's always been ready to play and that he's working out daily in LA" to make sure his conditioning is in tip-top shape.
Wherever he lands next, assuming a deal is brokered, Williams remains a weapon of mass scoring. Yes, he is 33 years old now, but not having played competitive basketball for 18 months also allowed his body to rest.
Like him or hate him, Mikey is good for the PBA, a marquee attraction that can move the needle of the viewership meter.
What was thought to be a lasting union turned into a marriage of convenience that benefited both TNT and Mikey before it was eventually torn asunder by strife over money and alleged unprofessional conduct.
But hey, someone else's divorce can be another's grand wedding.
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