CHICAGO - It was one of the greatest performances in the history of the PBA’s 50 years.
Blistering as the summer heat, Mikey Williams was cooking.
Thirty-eight points. Nine made 3s. A Governor’s Cup champonship won at the expense of Barangay Ginebra and a second Finals MVP honors to boot.
READ Mikey Williams, Converge finally agree to one-year deal
All of that in one night.
With a second PBA chip under his belt, his stardom streaking across that glorious Friday night sky, Williams was on the way to legendary status.
AND THEN IT ALL FELL APART.
Shortly after drowning in the champagne bubble of that April 21, 2023 championship, the 6-foot-2 gunner and TNT entered into a drawn-out renegotiation talks that failed, ultimately leading to Mikey’s exile to Converge in June 2025.
Seven months into that blockbuster trade, the mercurial but fabulously gifted Williams is finally a FiberXer after inking a one-year deal this past week, according to multiple sources.
The fourth overall pick of the 2020 PBA Draft did not get the reported $26,000 a month package he got from the Tropang 5G but Converge, sources told, was able to lure Mikey with slightly over $21,000 a month pay inclusive of bonuses.
Is he still worth it?
Inactive from organized pro competition for 154 months, Mikey will leak with rust and drag heavy legs, but once he rediscovers his conditioning he will be the same elite three-level scorer.
OLDER BUT KINDA NEW.
Yes, he is 34, but the prolonged sabbatical also allowed his body to rest.
“He is excited to return to the PBA. He’s been waiting for this moment to arrive,” a close confidant of Williams told me on Saturday.
PBA fans should be excited, too, for the opportunity to watch Mikey recreate his wizardry in Philippine soil.
I’m tempted to say this is the return of the prodigal son, but it’s not.
It’s a homecoming of a conquering hero who’s now decked in Converge purple and white.
It’s also a triumphant tale that an independent team, through wise spending and unbridled aggressiveness, can become a powerhouse.
Still a long way to go for complete parity in the league but Converge just took a giant leap.
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