Chris Ross could not wait to see his old teammate again when San Miguel honors Arwind Santos in a brief jersey retirement ceremony on Wednesday, May 1
Chris Ross could not help but feel elated that former teammate Arwind Santos is getting his number retired with San Miguel.
There is no doubt in his mind that it is going to be a well-deserved honor for someone who has helped the franchise win nine championships and establish a dynasty together with him, June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot.
“It’s well-deserved. If you watch what Arwind did for this franchise, it’s well-deserved. He meant so much to the team, to the franchise, to all the players,” Ross said after San Miguel rolled to a perfect 8-0 record following a 98-91 win over Magnolia on Friday, April 26.
The Beermen will honor the former Most Valuable Player on Wednesday, May 1, during the halftime break of their match against Blackwater at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
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Before becoming the team that had the league teetering on its heels for many years, the five-peat Philippine Cup champion from 2015-19 faced some early struggles.
Ross said that Santos' selfless act of taking a backseat as eventual seven-time MVP Fajardo started imposing his might paid dividends for San Miguel.
“He was MVP then when June Mar started rolling. He gladly took a backseat but his work didn’t stop. That was a big thing for our team at the time, sacrificing for each other,” said Ross.
“Because we had the talent to win a lot of games, but we wouldn’t win a championship unless we sacrifice for each other. Arwind was one of the prime examples of that.”
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Now Ross and the rest of the Beermen could not wait to reunite and honor one of the pillars of the franchise.
“I’m happy for him that he is going to get his number retired. I can’t wait to see him,” he said.