TNT head coach Chot Reyes and star guard Mikey Williams won't let the grueling contract negotiations hinder their performance on the court.
“Even from the start, when we were talking, I think the critical part was we had to keep our player-coach relationship strong and differentiate that from the player-manager relationship,” Reyes said.
“So I think that was a big step towards what you’re seeing now, that no matter having protracted negotiations, the communication as player and coach remains very direct, very open,” explained the six-time PBA Coach of the Year.
Although both camps haven't reached an agreement on the reconstructed deal yet, both Reyes and Williams intended to just focus on playing basketball and just leave the talks to the people who have the powers to fix it.
“I’m just playing basketball. That’s my focus right now. When it gets done, it gets done but we’re pretty close so I’m not really worried about that right now but just focus on these games coming up and prepare for playoffs,” said Williams who truly returned to his fiery form with a 27-point explosion in the TNT’s 87-72 win against Phoenix
"Even from the start, when we were talking, I think the critical part was we had to keep our player-coach relationship strong and differentiate that from the player-manager relationship,” Reyes said.
Reyes, meanwhile, lauded the professionalism of Williams who despite the ongoing talks regarding his contract, continued to put the work in hopes to help TNT defend the all-Filipino Cup title.
“The key with Mikey that I guess a lot of people don’t know is he’s very coachable. You can be very direct with him. If he makes a mistake on the court, he actually prefers that you tell him directly,” Reyes said of his high-scoring sophomore.
“If you want him to do something differently, he’s also very open to it. I think that’s the important thing. And coachability is the mark of a true professional. So to answer your question, that’s where his professionalism comes across, really.”