HAVING found a family in the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel for four years, Sol Mercado admits feeling "weird" about being on the other side of the court with the NorthPort Batang Pier in the 2019 PBA Governors' Cup semifinals.
"It's really tough facing Ginebra. I'm just trying to approach it the fun type of way, but I want them to be successful as well," he tells SPIN Life.
The 35-year-old guard — along with Kevin Ferrer and Jervy Cruz — was traded to the GlobalPort franchise in exchange for Stanley Pringle last June. This is his third stint with the ballclub after playing for the team in 2013 and 2014.
Although considered one of the key players in the Batang Pier's blowout win against Ginebra, 124-90, Mercado reveals that he still needed to convince himself to walk the other way during breaks.
"I have to tell myself to walk to that [NorthPort] bench during the timeout. Obviously, I have a bond with all those [Barangay] guys," said Sol, who posted 14 points on Saturday,
Mercado, however, commended his NorthPort teammates for making it easier for him to adjust to their system.
"It's been tough because we played a totally different style then in Ginebra, but I'm trying to do my best to adjust and just stay true to the player that I am. Those guys are resilient — they work hard, they play hard. I'll do whatever I can to help my team win."