TNT Tropang Giga guard Jayson Castro will forever be known as among the premier scoring point guards the PBA has ever seen—combining breathtaking speed and cat-like reflexes with excellent shooting and savvy playmaking.
Castro, though, is hardly a one-trick pony.
He is a great and willing passer, obviously, averaging over 5 dimes a game for six straight seasons starting in 2014 all the way to 2020. He is also a sturdy defender, good enough to keep opposing guards in front of him, smart enough to play team defense, and just the right amount of heady and quick to pick pockets.
The Blur is also a good rebounder for his position—maybe not as good as a Scottie Thompson but certainly good enough for a point guard. His latest milestone underscores it.
In Game 1 of the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup finals between Castro’s Tropang Giga and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, the seven-time PBA champion was honored for reaching 2,000 defensive rebounds in his career—a feat he accomplished in Game 4 of TNT’s semis showdown versus the Meralco Bolts.
Castro finished that series-clinching win with 4 caroms, which is right about The Blur’s average for his illustrious 16-year career. He would go on to grab 5 rebounds in Game 1 of the finals to go along with his 4 points and 4 assists.
Unfortunately for Castro, the Tropang Giga could not quite overcome the defending champions, losing 102-90 in front of over 11,000 fans who packed the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Easter Sunday.
Regardless, those same fans—and the thousands watching in their homes—got a timely reminder that Castro is more than just a scorer. He is actually a complete, all-around player, too.