MIKE Harris has been released from hospital and is only waiting to be cleared by doctors for his flight back to the United States.
Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said Harris was released from the hospital last Sunday and even attended a send-off tendered for him by the team last Tuesday.
Victolero said all tests on Harris yielded negative results after the Magnolia import suffered a hard fall that led to concussion fears in Game Five of the PBA Season 46 Governors’ Cup semifinal between Magnolia and Meralco.
Harris send-off
“Nung Tuesday, nagkaroon kami ng parang send-off, parang get-together after ng last game namin. Lumabas si Mike ng hospital nung Sunday, nagpahinga siya ng Monday, and then Tuesday nagkaroon kami ng lunch with the whole team,” said Victolero during an appearance in a SPIN Zoom In episode on Thursday.
“Nagpasalamat kami kay Mike, lahat ng players, at buong team sa nagawa niya sa amin. We wish him well. Prayers para sa kanya. Alam ko today, may appointment siya sa doctor niya kung papayagan na siya mag-biyahe. Kung may go-signal na, maybe late this week or early next week, makaalis na si Mike.”
“Everything, lahat ng test, maganda. Magandang balita, all negative. Nung kausap lang namin siya, hindi siya makatingin ng medyo malalim kasi nahihilo pa siya. But other than that, lahat na okay siya,” said Victolero.
Looking back on Game Five, Victolero said Harris was already hurt during a separate fall he suffered in the second quarter, but the Magnolia import opted to play on.
Victolero said Harris still wanted to play after he suffered another fall in the fourth quarter but team doctors advised the Magnolia import not to return to the game.
“’Yung unang bagsak niya, tinatanong ko na siya noon… Nahihilo siya. Gusto lang din niya siguro maglaro at makatulong siya. It takes a lot of how many minutes bago niya nagawa ‘yun and then susubukan lang niya.
“During halftime, kinausap ko din siya. He is okay pero makikita mo hindi ‘yun talaga ‘yung Mike Harris. Mapapansin mo ‘yung galaw. Nahihilo siya.”
“Nung second time na tinamaan siya, ang sinasabi niya, wala siyang maalala. Na-knockdown siya at nasa isang posisyon na hindi siya magalaw. ‘Yun ang kwento ng mga PTs. Nung lumabas siya, ang ano ng doctors is concussion. May protocol ‘yun. Nung lumabas siya na may oxygen siya nung bumalik, sabi ko we will not risk ‘yung health niya.
“It’s an important game pero importante pa rin ‘yung life. Hindi naman puwede na ‘yung isa-sacrifice ‘yung buhay niya doon. Ang narinig ko sa side, gusto niya pumasok pero ‘yung doctors, pinipigilan na siya. Actually, mahirap mag-desisyon sa ganun na kahit gusto niya pero ‘yung team doctors, ayaw na nila dahil sa protocol nila,” Harris said.
Victolero thanked the PBA community for the concern for Harris, noting that even rival fans were praying for the safety of the Magnolia import.
“Si Mike, sobrang kahit na kalaban, mapapalapit ka sa kanya with the way he acts on the floor. Lagi siyang masayahin at very competitive. Kung maglalaro siya, makikita mo ‘yung tunay na athlete sa kanya na talagang laro lang.
"Halos lahat ng players, kaibigan niya, even Meralco. Kahit ganun ka-grabe ‘yung series na ‘yun, kung may mangyari sa player, talagang makikita mo ‘yung concern sa kanila,” said the Magnolia coach.
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