NARDS Pinto said he appreciated the effort of Ginebra teammate Scottie Thompson to carry him to the team bench after he hurt his right foot in the Kings’ PBA Commissioner’s Cup game against NorthPort.
The 32-year-old guard said the move only showed how much his close friend care for him even if it meant carrying the former Arellano stalwart, all 170 pounds of him, the length of the court to the Ginebra bench.
“Totoong kaibigan yang si Scott. Kaya mahal na mahal ko rin yan,” said Pinto.
See: Nards Pinto out for Ginebra game vs Converge - likely much longer
Thompson, a Davaoeno like Pinto, was among the first Ginebra players who approached Pinto after he tweaked his right foot upon landing while going for a layup late in the first quarter of the game held at the Philsports Arena.
When it became apparent Pinto couldn’t walk on his own, Thompson picked his teammate up and hurriedly carried him all the way to the Ginebra bench.
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The pain on his right foot unbearable, Pinto said the events were a bit blurry to him.
“Hindi ko na nga napansin na kinarga na pala ako ni Scottie,” he added.
The photo of Thompson, the reigning league MVP, carrying an injured Pinto later became viral that it was used as subject of several meme posts.
Pinto’s foot was swollen and put in a splint pending a check up on him by Wednesday.
The injury meant the guard won’t be around when the Kings battle the Converge FiberXers in their final outing in the eliminations.