GABE Norwood admitted it never occurred to him to move to another PBA team other than Rain or Shine since he was picked No. 1 overall in the 2008 rookie draft.
The two sides were together through thick and thin for 17 years in one of the longest partnerships in PBA history.
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“Rain or Shine never gave me any reason that would make me want to leave,” he said. “I like being the underdog, you know, I kind of help my team score wins. That’s the story of my life.”
Norwood won Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, became the All-Star Game MVP and Defensive Player of the Year the season after, and would help RoS win the first of its two league championships in 2012.
A seven-time member of the All-Defensive Team, a three-time recipient of the Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award, a one-time Mythical Second Team member, and an 11-time All-Star, Norwood, some observers believed, could have achieved more had he accepted any of the offers that came in after he became a free agent.
“You would hear rumors. Naturally you would hear trade rumors. But I trusted my agent,” said the former Gilas Pilipinas team captain.
“I didn’t want to breathe too much life into things that won’t work for sure,” he added. “So my agent didn’t come back with anything.”
Looking back, Norwood believes his basketball personality perfectly fits what the Rain or Shine franchise stands for.
He thrived under the same culture with State College Area High School where he won his first and only state championship, with the underdog George Mason University side that reached the 2006 NCAA Final Four, and with Rain or Shine where he won his two championships in the PBA.
“It just makes sense to be with Rain or Shine,” stressed Norwood.
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