JUST like in college, it took time until Sean Quitevis got the opportunity to ball out with the main team in games which mattered.
So it’s not surprising that when Quitevis finally got the opportunity to suit up for TNT for the first time since being drafted 35th overall in the 2025 PBA Draft, he was ready to contribute in an instant.
The former Ateneo Blue Eagle once again played significant minutes for the Tropang 5G, this time in a do-or-die game when they took on the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
Quitevis played 12 minutes and went scoreless with four rebounds and two assists, but he stepped up in guarding the Road Warriors’ talented backcourt of LJay Gonzales or Robert Bolick each time he was on the floor for TNT.
Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes couldn’t be happier with how the rookie handled himself with TNT’s conference on the line.
“I thought we got a great lift off the bench from Sean Quitevis. Because the other guy who was giving us a lot of problems was LJay Gonzales. Also, Sean allowed us to give Roger [Pogoy] some minutes of rest while he took on [Robert] Bolick,” Reyes said.
Quitevis being activated makes a lot of sense for TNT right now, especially with veteran guard Jio Jalalon dealing with sciatica issues to this date.
His scrappiness, pride in trying to stop the opposing team’s best players and desire to generate extra possessions for his team makes him the perfect player to fill in the needs of a team stacked with stars led by the prolific import Bol Bol and steady veterans in Calvin Oftana, Jayson Castro, and RR Pogoy among others.
“We need a guy to fill the shoes of Jio Jalalon. Siya yung pume-pressure na makulit na maliit who can get in the face of the opposing teams’ ball handlers,” Reyes said.
“Towards the end of the elimination, when it was clear na Jio won’t be ready for the playoffs, then we made that decision,” he added.
“Like we said, we don’t have guys to match up with guys like that e, guys like Rhonjay [Abarrientos], like Ljay Gonzales, very quick and very good ball handlers.”
Quitevis played his first game in TNT’s final match of the elimination round against Ginebra as Reyes gave him some tune-up before the playoffs.
But while the game was technically no-bearing for both squads, Quitevis still had his hands full, with the task of limiting Abarrientos in his very first game as a pro.
“I still can’t comprehend what’s happening. It’s just fight or flight. Everytime I’m on the floor, when coach calls my name, I'm like ‘let’s go, I’m ready,’” the former Ateneo guard said.
“Put in a lot of work with Better Basketball. This moment, It’s just another day, another test for me and I’m ready to put my whole heart on the floor.”
While he seems to have fit into a perfect role with TNT, Quitevis isn’t quite fond of the term ‘role.’
Instead, he believes in the culture – the idea of giving what he can for the team, filling in the needs of the squad based on his capabilities.
“I don’t believe in the role, I believe in the culture of this team. It’s the next man up type of culture so I got guys like Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, I can go on. They’re just in my ear, telling me to be ready,” Quitevis shared.
“These guys have taken us so far, the least I can do is give them a couple of breathers, maybe a couple of rebounds here and there and set them up for buckets. “
The 6’1 guard also sees his time with TNT as a full circle moment – calling it a ‘graduation’ of sorts as Ateneo and TNT share one practice facility at the Moro Lorenzo Gym.
He’s also once again working with his coaches in college in Sandy Arespacochaga and Yuri Escueta so best believe this opportunity means the world to him.
“Coach Sandy, coach Yuri. I always tell the story that they’re the same guys that cut me when I first started in college, but they’re also the same coaches who drafted me,” he said.
“Just to pay them back for this opportunity, I have nothing more to say other than I’m ready. You put my name out there, I got to reward them for it.”
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