IT may appear that Mark Yee deliberately tried to hurt Ryan Reyes in one sequence of the TnT Katropa-KIA Picanto game in the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
For Reyes though, it was just Mark Yee being Mark Yee.
“He’s just playing physical and rough. That’s his game,” said Reyes of the physical play between him and his former teammate as they try to box each other out for the rebound during the hard-fought game won by the Katropa, 90-85.
“There’s nothing much as far as what happened.”
No foul was called after Yee locked on the right hand of Reyes while both were going for the rebound, prompting several players, among them Barangay Ginebra’s Joe Devance to react on social media and said the KIA power forward tried to hurt Reyes.
While he was grateful for the concern, the veteran TnT guard said he doesn’t’ hold grudge against Yee, who he considers a friend off the court and played together at TnT for two seasons.
“Nothing (really) there, I didn’t think it was dirty because I know him,” said the 34-year-old Fil-Am.
“I know him. We’re friends off the court, and it’s part of the game,” he added.
Reyes finished with only two points, four rebounds, and four assists in the Katropa’s fourth win in seven outings, while Yee scored seven of his total output all in the third quarter.
The TnT veteran said Yee approached him after the play and apologized.
“He did, he just said sorry,” said Reyes. “I guess he didn’t know it was me. But that’s Mark Yee is.”