Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes and San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua have been on the opposite sides of the PBA spectrum. Most of the time, they're rivals. But in rare instances, adversaries must unite too. No better reason than for flag and country.
In a rare preview of what goes behind the scenes of Gilas Pilipinas, Coach Chot revealed some of the encouraging messages Chua sent him amid the tribulations the national team faced during the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Reyes specifically thanked and uploaded an appreciation post for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel governor.
"When everyone was down on us and doubting, and the bashers as usual were hating, one voice kept the faith, kept believing. That in the end we’d come out winning," Reyes said on his Instagram. "Salamat Gov. Al Chua. You're part of this."
Screenshots of Chua's messages showed how he kept it positive and encouraged his compatriot to block the noise during the Gilas Pilipinas revenge tour.
"Huwag mong intindihin mga tao. Kasama sa buhay natin 'yan," Chua said in one of the messages.
The long-haired architect of SMC's PBA titles is not new to bashing. He's a constant punching bag of frustrated PBA fans online. Chua remains unbothered though.
"[Mag-]coach ka lang. Alam ko mahirap. Block mo lang isip mo. Concentrate lang sa team," Chua said to Reyes.
Reyes, Chua, and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas got the last laugh in the SEA Games after recovering the gold. Another proof that the local nemeses will set aside their rivalry for the country.
Up next for this partnership is the 2023 FIBA World Cup.