LIKE a true professional, Ken Ighalo accepted the tongue-lashing he received from NLEX coach Yeng Guiao during a timeout in a loss to Alaska on Friday, a video of which has made the rounds on social media.
Ighalo bore the brunt of Guiao’s tirade during a timeout with the Road Warriors down, 33-22, in the second quarter. Guiao shouted “Tumingin ka sa akin,” then launched into an expletive-filled rant at the former Mapua Cardinal.
Guiao’s tirade stemmed from Ighalo not taking a shot with the shotclock winding down - a mistake which the NLEX reserve player readily admitted was a 'mental lapse.'
“Normal naman ‘yung kay coach. Kung siya nga, may tiwala sa tira ko. Ako, bakit hindi. Nung time na ‘yun, mental lapse dahil hindi ko na-check ‘yung shotclock,” said Ighalo, who added this is not the first time Guiao got angry at him.
Ighalo actually played well, statistics-wise, in the 88-80 loss to Alaska after scoring a game-high 16 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds.
Ighalo, one of a number of reserve players who have made the most of their opportunities in the absence of Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas, said the incident won’t stop him from becoming a better player.
“Okay lang. It serves as motivation for me to do better. I’ll take it as a player,” said Ighalo. “Lahat naman kami napapagalitan ng ganun. Learning experience."
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