CHICAGO - When TNT coach and manager Jojo Lastimosa gave an update on the continuing absence of Mikey Williams, one tidbit got a lot of ears ringing.
"If you are not on the first day, it's going to be hard for you to get back to the line-up," Jolas told reporters during yesterday's PBA Media Day.
READ: TNT ready to start new season without Mikey Williams, says Jolas
I'm not a mind reader so I can't tell you if Lastimosa was discharging a warning shot or merely giving a harmless, brotherly shove in hopes of making the stalled negotiations move.
But to a key member of Williams' inner circle, the words Lastimosa spoke rang like an ultimatum, a not so subtle threat that tends to only worsen an already toxic relationship.
"Money and the length of a new contract" remain the sticking points in the messy renegotiation talks which have dragged on for seven months, I am told.
And while Mikey hasn't been collecting regular paychecks for quite some time now, his camp said the 6-foot-2 combo guard is "prepared to do something else."
Basketball is a huge part, but not the entirety of Williams' life. With a college degree from Cal State Fullerton, his ability to make a livelihood is not limited to playing hoops.
It's hard to fathom why TNT is reluctant to meet Mikey's asking price. Two PBA titles and two Finals MVP honors prove he is one of the best players in the league.
IF WILLIAMS WERE AN ASSET OF THE SMC BLOC, I THINK THE INK ON HIS LONG-TERM DEAL WOULD HAVE BEEN DRY BY NOW.
The Tropang Giga can't be totally blamed for allowing this renegotiation clause. They were merely protecting themselves from further financial exposure had Mikey underperformed. But that gamble backfired after Williams enormously overperformed his contract.
Long story short, the Tropang Giga were a knowing, willing party. To complain now would be like setting up a doctor's appointment and then crying when finding out that the visit required a needle and an injection.
Without injured regulars Roger Pogoy and Poy Erram, the Tropang Giga are not a contender. They need Mikey the way leaves need sunlight, which is why Lastimosa only mentioned having "decent success" in this conference.
Yes, TNT has a superstar import in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. But basketball is a group effort, not a solo flight.
While the PBA gears up for its November 5 start, Mikey Williams is resting his back that had been carrying TNT for the last two years, including a 38-point Game 6 masterpiece that clinched the Governor's Cup last April.
He is not in a hurry to go back to Manila, if ever. He will celebrate his birthday in LA amongst friends and family.
It didn't have to be this way.
Call him a diva or a drama queen. But Mikey is also a shrewd negotiator who won't be bullied into accepting what is less of what he thinks is his just value as a franchise player.
Can you blame him?
BOLICK UPDATE.
Contrary to what coach Bonnie Tan told reporters, there are no ongoing negotiations between NorthPort and Robert Bolick, I was told.
Firstly, there is the matter of securing a clearance from the B.League after Bolick's contract with the Fukushima Firebonds was cancelled. Unless that is sorted out, any attempt to sign Bolick smells like tampering.
Secondly, basketball is farthest from Bolick's mind right now. Along with his pregnant wife Cassandra, the knockdown shooter was sighted yesterday in Cebu where the couple are reportedly scouting for a good OB-GYN.
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