HARVEY Carey, who helped TNT win seven PBA championships, saw his former team win again when the Tropang Giga outlasted Ginebra in the last Commissioner's Cup Finals.
Carey, a Fil-American who played 728 games in the PBA from 2003 to 2020., happened to be in town during the PBA playoffs as coach of the 16-under team of Fil-Am Nation in the Manila Live tournament which coincided with the NBTC tournament.
"I was here for Manila Live, NBTC, we have [an Under-16) team and we won our pool but we lost to UST in the bracket play by one point,” Carey said when he attended a game between Magnolia and Blackwater a few days ago.
READ Pure Talk 'N Texter Harvey Carey’s no. 4 jersey formally retired
“I’m just coaching and helped out with the Fil-Am Nation with their Under-16 team. We’ve been here for a couple of weeks. I just met all the kids here. We were able to practice only like 45 minutes before the tournament started. But they did great. We went undefeated in pool play and I’m very proud of them,” said Carey.
Coaching a basketball team is just one of the things that is keeping Carey busy nowadays.
Carey is a physical education teacher at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, a Lasallian school in San Francisco, California. A check with the school’s website stated that Carey is also the assistant coach of the boys varsity team.
“I work at a private school in San Francisco. I teach there and I also coach as well,” said Carey.
Carey has been on his new job since 2021, or a year after he retired from the PBA with TNT - the only ballclub he played for in his career after being selected fourth overall in the 2003 draft.
“I applied and I got the job … I never thought of teaching. Never thought of coaching. It’s just something that just kind of gradually happened for me and it’s been a blessing so far,” said Carey.
Carey said he is enjoying his job immensely, as he is able to share his experience, especially his basketbal knowledge.
“I'm flirting with it [coaching] a little bit. I love being around kids and teaching the game,” he added.
After his stint with Sonoma State University, Carey had a successful career in the PBA as an undersized big man who was a force inside the paint. The 6-3 forward won seven championships with Talk ‘N Text. He was an All-Star in 2011, a Mythical Second Team selection in his rookie year in 2003, and an All-Defensive Team member in 2007.
Carey jersey retired
His feats and contributions to the team, now known as Tropang 5G, were considerable that the ballclub retired Carey’s No. 4 jersey in 2023. Jimmy Alapag (No. 3) is the only other player that had his jersey retired by TNT.
The two are living in the Northern California area, but Carey said they haven't been in touch as often as they would like since Alapag is always travelling as assistant coach of the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, a role which he said makes him very proud of his former teammate and what he has done after his PBA career.
“We try to communicate often, but he’s so busy. The NBA schedule is so busy that I don’t get to see him as much. But we’re still pretty close,” said Carey.
“He’s representing the Philippines very, very well over there. He is doing his thing. And I’m very, very proud of him,” Carey added.
Carey was thrilled to be in the country in time for TNT’s recent title run. He watched the two games that the Tropang Giga won to wipe out a 3-2 deficit against Barangay Ginebra and was thrilled to see that some of his former teammates are still around to help the Tropang Giga another the championship.
“It was good to see those guys win," he said. "Coach Chot [Reyes], he is a winner. They still have a couple of my teammates over there, Jayson [Castro], Ryan [Reyes], Kelly [Williams], so they are keeping the winning culture alive.”
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