The barangay will come out in full force for sure.
There has been plenty of talk as to who the underdogs are and who the favorites will be when Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the TNT Tropang Giga dispute the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup crown. But it appears Ginebra team manager Alfrancis Chua is not among those speculating about that.
Instead, the multiple-time PBA Executive of the Year thinks this championship series has the makings of an exciting, evenly matched dogfight between two of the PBA’s best teams.
“It’s gonna be a very good fight,” Chua told the press in the pre-finals presser held on Monday afternoon. “Parehong [may] magaling na coach, parehong [may] talented na mga players.”
Chua makes a fair point. Ginebra has the winningest coach in PBA history calling the shots, while TNT has a Cone-mentored tactician rising up the ranks in his first conference as head coach. The defending champions, of course, are loaded with stars, while the Tropang Giga are just as star-studded.
The fiery former Ginebra coach, though, sees one advantage that is undeniably Ginebra’s.
“Ang lamang lang ng Ginebra, yung fans. Medyo dun kami lalamang,” Chua pointed out. “Sa laro… they [Tropang Giga] got a good import and good players.”
Little wonder then that Chua appealed to the barangay’s legions of fans—and hoops fans in general for that matter.
“Kaya nananawagan ako sa lahat ng mahilig sa basketball, sana po panoorin niyo ‘to…,” Chua said. “Hindi po ito para sa Ginebra [lang], hindi po ito para sa Talk N Text [lang], kundi para po sa PBA, para po ito sa basketball, sa basketball ng Pilipino.”
Ginebra’s fans will surely heed that call. PBA fans might be wise to follow suit.