Sonny Thoss said attending the once-a-week Gilas Pilipinas practice as an observer is better than being totally barred from joining the national team's Monday sessions.
“Yes, I’ll show up (in Gilas practice) and I’ll be watching them. At least, if there’s anything new, I’ll know,” Thoss told Spin.ph.
Thoss said he hopes to keep up with the changes in the national team’s system under coach Chot Reyes, who as of the moment, is only allowed to conduct a once-a-week practice with the 17-man Gilas pool while the PBA Commissioner’s Cup is in progress.
Over the weekend, Alaska management has confirmed reports that nine-year PBA veteran will only to be allowed to join Gilas practices at the end of the Aces’ campaign in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The issue has become a divisive especially since no less than the PBA board had agreed to lend at least one player per team to the Gilas squad vying in the Fiba-Asia world basketball championship qualifier to be held in Manila this August.
Under the agreement, the players chosen by Reyes will have to attend the national team’s practice that begins with a once-a-week session every Monday night before escalating in frequency in the months leading up to the Asian showpiece.
But an internal agreement had given an exception to Alaska, which, even before Reyes made his selection public, had already informed both Gilas officials and the board that it will only allow its players to join Gilas practices after its last game in the Commissioner's Cup.
The 6’7” Thoss attended the national team's first practice two weeks ago but missed last Monday’s session as he had to rush to Cebu to attend to his father, who is battling cancer of the throat.
The 31-year-old Alaska slotman said his father underwent a successful operation early this week and is now recovering well at Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu.
“He’s recovering well after battling cancer on and off for the last five years,” said Thoss, who will fly back to Manila on Wednesday night so he could rejoin the Aces in practice on Thursday.
Thoss said it had been a pressure-packed week for him since he will be flying with the rest of the team on Friday to Tubod, Lanao del Norte, where the Aces play Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Saturday.
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