At A Glance
- Scottie Thompson was sprawling on the Mall of Asia Arena floor already playing the confetti with his kids during the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup awarding ceremony and not minding that there's still a trophy that is needed to be handed out.
Scottie Thompson was sprawling on the Mall of Asia Arena floor already, playing the confetti with his kids during the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup awarding ceremony and not minding that there’s still a trophy that is needed to be handed out.
Not until he heard his name gets called by the members of the PBA Press Corps for the Ramon Fernandez Finals MVP award.
And everyone with some of his teammates, some even cheering his name, seemed to see it coming except for one person — Thompson himself.
Thompson was too stunned to quickly react as his teammates and SMC Sports Director Alfrancis Chua crowded and congratulated him.
“Oo (nagulat ako). Siyempre kasi sa series na ito alam ko yung ups and downs ko,” said Thompson who bagged his third Finals MVP award. “Nagulat lang ako kasi bonus lang iyon for me kasi ang dami ring teammates ko na maganda ang nilaro.”
“Gusto ko lang naman talaga makatulong makakuha ng championship para sa team and para sa sarili ko kasi ang tagal na naming di nakakuha,” he added.
And it was indeed a tough call for the members of the press who voted for the award, especially with RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario also having their fair share of the spotlight in the grueling seven-game Finals series.
But with the series dragging to the Game 7 and with different players stepping up to support Justin Brownlee in the previous games, it’s almost imperative to award the plum to the Ginebra locals who will deliver when the stage is brighter and the stakes are higher.
And that turned out to be Thompson, who finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He submitted averages of 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 steals — highlighted by a triple-double of 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
“Napaka special (ng championship na ito),” said Thompson.
“Ang daming struggle (but) at the end of the day nakakuha ng championship. All glory to god. Like I said, isa ito sa pinaka the best to talaga ibabaon ko ito habam buhay syempre in front of my kids and syempre ang tagal na nila kaming tinatalo sa Finals,” he added.