By REYNALD MAGALLON
Back when San Miguel Beer was trailing by double-digits late in the third quarter of its title-clinching Game 6, head coach Jorge Gallent and star guard CJ Perez had some sort of disagreement on the bench.
The two had a brief argument, which stemmed to the veteran tactician sitting out the flamboyant guard after passing up an open shot, before cooler heads including an active consultant Leo Austria got in the middle of the two.
For someone from the outside looking in, the scene appeared like trouble was brewing at the Beermen’s camp – a chink to what appeared to be a solid chemistry of the team.
But that was not the case.
Instead, it was a testament to the strong bond between the two – a moment that the 30-year-old guard cherishes even if it may look ugly from someone outside their circle.
“Ganun talaga sa pamilya eh. Tatay talaga minsan mag aaway, pero sumusunod pa rin and I always cherish those moments kay coach Jorge,” said Perez who was first to approach Gallent after the incident.
Like Perez, Gallent also played down that little misunderstanding, saying that everything was all over right at the moment they stopped talking.
“We just shout for five to six seconds and then it’s done. Once we shout and once CJ turns his back and once I turn my back. It’s done. It’s over but he’s a son that’s hard-headed,” shared Gallent.
“I was telling him to take the shot and he just didn’t want to take it. He’s a good shooter,” recalled the veteran coach.
Perez, after a brief rest at the bench, still took the lashing from Gallent to heart and went on to obey the orders of his coach who he also treats like a real father.
True to Gallent’s words, Perez did show that he is a good shooter and delivered the biggest play for the SMB when he drilled a booming triple off an isolation play to give his team a 103-99 lead with less than a minute remaining.
And for that, Perez, who finished with 28 points – 24 of which came in the second half, said he will always be grateful to Gallent for always believing in him.
“Sabi nga nya hard-headed ako. Minsan di ako namamasa pero ngayon pasa ako ng pasa so I’m always grateful na I have him as my coach,” added the Best Player of the Conference and Finals MVP.
