He may be 40 and already in the twilight of his once flourishing career.
Still Jay Washington is not about to go quietly into the night.
"I feel like I still have it. I feel I can still contribute to a team and help out," the veteran big man emphatically said after playing his first game with Blackwater on Thursday in the 2021 PBA Governors Cup.
JayWash stays defiant
It was a rather short debut for the 6-foot-8 Washington, who went scoreless in five minutes as the Bossing absorbed a 98-77 beating against Meralco.
Despite the Bossing's long losing streak, Washington is not giving up on the team, which just like him is not giving up on career which many claimed was all but over when TNT traded him to Blackwater for Carl Bryan Cruz.
Washington flashed a huge smile when asked about people already counting him out.
"It's funny because I didn't know that, I didn't know that I was going to retire," he said.
"I heard about the trade or whatever. But I guess because no one heard from me," added Washington. "But at the same time, I was waiting to hear something from somebody. I hadn't heard anything."
But the Fil-Am big man admitted he's still trying to get his timing back after missing out on the Philippine Cup bubble in Bacolor, Pampanga while with the Tropang Giga.
Deep inside though, Washington knows there's still some gas left in the tank.
" I think so. I hope somebody sees that," he said. "I hope I can continue my career."
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