He was honored during halftime of the TNT-Meralco match in the PBA On Tour.
Clad in white barong, Harvey Carey was sitting comfortably behind TNT Tropang Giga’s bench at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
He looked relaxed as usual, conversing with another TNT legend in Asi Taulava, perhaps talking about the good old days in a blue-and-yellow uniform.
Fans also lined up to get a picture with the 6-foot-3 TNT lifer, who last played for the franchise in the PBA Bubble in 2020.
Minutes later, Carey joined his family as well as TNT team governor Ricky Vargas, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, and PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on center court as the franchise he played for 17 long years repaid his loyalty and service with a brief, poignant jersey retirement ceremony.
In his speech, he made special mention of Manny V. Pangilinan.
“I was blessed to play almost two decades in the PBA, and none of that would not have been possible without the trust and confidence management had in me,” he said.
“So, thank you boss MVP for taking a chance on an unknown kid back in 2003 and allowing me the privilege to spend my entire career with a classy franchise."
As he was delivering his speech, he was surrounded by former teammates Ryan Reyes, Jared Dillinger, Mark Telan, Larry Fonacier, Patrick Fran, Kelly Williams, and Jayson Castro.
He also expressed gratitude to the people who supported him every step of the way, from the utility staff to the coaches. But he reserved his best for the PBA fans, the lifeblood of the first play-for-pay league in Asia.
“I was never on the national team, I was never the best player on the team… but you made me feel like an MVP,” he said.
In the years he wore the TNT threads, Carey helped the franchise hoist seven championship trophies.
He posted career averages of 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assist but didn’t really need to score to make an impact.
But he did, and now he got the honor he richly deserved.
(MDB)