CHICAGO - Even though he knew that his playing eligibility at La Salle would be short and limited, Schonny Winston was determined to make it a meaningful stint.
"I took the responsibility of being a Green Archer seriously. Even though I had offers to play for another year at the NCAA Division 1 in the US, I chose to come to La Salle and be a part of a cherished UAAP tradition," a somber Winston told me late last night.
Consider that promise kept.
[READ: Winston barred from joining La Salle in KO game]
In a tumultuous Season 85 where La Salle was ravaged by erratic, inconsistent play, Winston rose above the turmoil and glued the team together while ending the first round of eliminations as a runaway MVP candidate averaging 21.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per through seven games.
Unfortunately, Schonny got hurt. And that's when tensions between the player's' camp and La Salle began to manifest.
For the record, Schonny is dealing with a calf tear, not just a mere strain.
And this is why, despite the team's hard push for the star guard to return to the lineup, Winston simply couldn't do it because of the pain and discomfort.
CLEARED "TO RESUME PRACTICE"
In his post-game press conference after losing to Adamson, 80-76, and bowing out of the Final Four race last night, La Salle head coach Derrick Pumaren said Winston "was cleared to play without restrictions."
But Winston's dad, Laurian Watkins, politely disputes that contention.
A medical document signed by a surgeon from the Philippine Orthopedic Institute, Inc. was obtained by SPIN.ph and it verified that Winston was diagnosed with a "gastrocnemius tear" not a sprain, and that he was cleared only "to resume training without restrictions."
Watkins clarified that despite the clearance issued last December 1, "Schonny still needed to train with caution and care and that he must be mindful of muscle fatigue, stiffness, soreness or pulling.
"In an open discussion, the physical therapy trainer assessed that he wouldn't likely be back this year or he could really set himself back and exacerbate the injury.
"But when the team was forced into a knockout game the pressure to return to active duty became more and more aggressive.," Watkins explained.
And make no mistake, every effort was made for Schonny to be made available.
NO STONE UNTURNED
"I pushed my son so hard in our private workouts but every time he exerted more effort he ended up in a heap. Knowing that he could not be much of a help to his team, Deschon didn't want to disrupt the run they were having late in the season but was open for short stints as needed to make an impact. "
When it became clear that he wouldn't suit up against Adamson, Winston was reportedly told an assistant coach that "he would not be allowed on the team bus or to participate in the game per management."
Which explained why Schonny ended up just watching the do-or-die game in the stands with his dad instead of the team bench where he would have loved to be in to cheer for his teammates on.
When the dust settled at the Mall of Asia, where La Salle's one promising campaign was laid to rest, Schonny went to the locker room to console his teammates.
And that's when some of the civility abruptly left the building.
Watkins said his on was met by a team official "and was cursed out in front of the whole team and coaching staff and was told that he was a loser and a quitter. That's unfortunate because my son bled green for them and played as many minutes as was required from him when he was healthy."
"It's an emotional time," coach Watkins added, "but I want to make it clear that I will always be grateful to the La Salle community for the support that they have extended to us. I just want to set the facts straight."
As for Winston, he took this weird, unexpected turn of events with quiet grace and dignity.
"I will always be a La Sallian and I'm grateful for my time here. I did not quit on my teammates. Management gave up on me," he said.
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