By REYNALD MAGALLON
After finally redeeming himself from the debacle in Hanoi and steering Gilas Pilipinas back to its golden throne in Phnom Penh, head coach Chot Reyes felt it’s now the perfect time to pass the torch to other coaches when it comes to the Southeast Asian Games.
“Win or lose, this is my last Southeast Asian Games. I promised I’ll never coach here in the SEA Games anymore,” he shared after the national team pulled off an 80-69 win over host Cambodia in the finals of 5-on-5 men’s basketball competitions.
“At least I was able to go out with the gold medal,” added Reyes whose last two coaching stints was a tale of two different runs.
The outspoken Gilas coach became the most hated man in Philippine basketball just a year ago when his Gilas team, backed by PBA players and is expected just run through its oppositions in that tournament, faltered in the its final game, ultimately relinquishing the title as the best in the region for the first time in 33 years.
Fast forward to present where his hastily built Gilas, thought to be on the verge of another collapse after a stunning group stage loss, somehow got the job done and reclaimed the gold.
For the veteran coach though, he felt the competitions in the Southeast Asian Games should serve as the breeding ground for Gilas’ developmental teams.
“I think for the good of Philippine basketball, I think we really should bring younger players here for the Southeast Asian Games,” said Reyes who is also the concurrent program director of the national team.
“It really has to be the younger players who should be playing. I really think that’s what this is for so hopefully in the future we can put together a team earlier to compete in the next one in Thailand,” he added.
“I have no authority of course it’s the SBP that is going to make that determination but that’s just my personal opinion.”
