It's a collab that should put other teams on notice.
San Miguel Beermen guard Chris Ross is a pretty good leader. There's no question about that. He showed what he can do with Gilas Pilipinas in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and the two-time PBA Finals MVP helped deliver nine championships for his mother club.
Recently, it was reported that Ross was appointed as playing assistant coach for the Beermen. The role suits him well, especially since at 38 years old, coaching is the logical next step in his career.
Upon learning the latest development with Ross, a former PBA opponent immediately lined up to call dibs.
"When you coach, you have my word, I’ll put the SMB jersey on for a season," posted former Bay Area Dragons and now Qingdao Eagles guard Myles Powell on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ross was immediately stoked.
"Y’all heard it here first! Powerman & Coach Chris coming to a PBA court in the future!" he shared.
Of course, the Beermen know all about Ross' leadership qualities, but the rest of the PBA, particularly Gilas Pilipinas, also realized it the night before the gold medal match against Jordan in the Asian Games.
Ross told One Sports how he rallied his teammates through the power of manifestation.
"I told the guys to just visualize it (winning the gold medal). Visualize what we're gonna do after, we're gonna be celebrating with each other. But before the game, I told them to lock in on every possession," he said after their historic win.
He didn't play at all against Jordan but was very vocal on the sidelines, just like all good coaches are. At one crucial point, he implored his teammates during a timeout: "Dig deep! Dig deep! Every loose ball, we go get it!"
Even Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone became a fan, as he hugged him during the celebration.
"I know why San Miguel won all those championships," Cone told Ross. "I know why."
Powell, meanwhile, was a bona fide superstar for Bay Area when they played in last year's PBA Commissioner's Cup. He led the Dragons to the finals and could've easily been voted as Best Import. He, however, was not eligible for the award since he's from a guest squad. Justin Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel won the honor.
Shame that there's no Bay Area for this upcoming PBA Commissioner's Cup after the Dragons were disbanded. But just imagine what a Coach Chris Ross-Myles Powell tandem can do.
(PM)