Raymond Alamazan was there when Meralco suffered the 2019 and 2021 Governors’ Cup Finals heartbreaks against Ginebra. Now everything is worth the wait and pain as the Bolts hoist the 2024 Philippine Cup crown.
Raymond Almazan gave frontcourt partner Cliff Hodge big hug as confetti fell on them after Meralco lorded over the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup at the expense of San Miguel.
Without exactly saying anything, Almazan just kept shouting at the top of his lungs, dapping his teammates as the Bolts seized a breakthrough title before a raucous crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
When he talked to reporters later that night, Almazan still struggled to find the words to describe his feelings after winning his second PBA championship.
“Grabe ‘tong championship na ‘to sobrang…” he said, taking his time to wait for the perfect word to come.
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It didn’t.
Instead, the reed-thin center compared this title to the one he felt with his former team during Rain or Shine’s conquest of Alaska in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup.
He was part of the coach Yeng Guiao-led Elasto Painters, who also had the likes of Jeff Chan, Paul Lee, and Extra Rice duo Beau Belga and JR Quinahan.
Incidentally, Beermen’s Don Trollano and Jericho Cruz also suited up for the Elasto Painters then.
“Pwede ko ihalintulad to sa 2016 namin. Kasi talagang binuild namin tong team na to,” said Alamzan after the 80-78 Game 6 win over the Beermen at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Alamazan just couldn’t help but feel elated to accomplish his mission of helping deliver a PBA crown for the Bolts, who traded for him in 2019.
He was there when Meralco suffered the 2019 and 2021 Governors’ Cup Finals heartbreaks against Ginebra.
Even through those defeats, he remained hell-bent on bringing one for the proud franchise that believed in him, this time at the expense of the Beermen no less.
Now as he hoisted his second PBA title and first with the Bolts, Almazan realized all the pain and sacrifices proved worth it.
“Sobrang daming pinagdaanan ng team namin. Start ng conference bad start kami. Nasa bottom kami. Daming ups and downs. Daming injuries,” he said, as Meralco recovered from a 1-3 and 3-5 start early in the All-Filipino.
“Ginrind namin. Nagtiwala kami sa isa’t isa na kaya namin. Kaya sobrang saya. Pinaghirapan mo talaga championship napakasarap sa feeling.”
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