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Now standing on the summit of the Philippine Basketball Affiliation (PBA), Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra is aware of that things are about to get more durable.
And like what has been the trademark of his profession — when hard work as a task participant led him to turn out to be the Most Priceless Participant (MVP) after seven years — Thompson is right here to indicate he deserves being the king of the hill.
Thompson stored things easy proper after his coronation at Sensible Araneta Coliseum on Sunday afternoon in the course of the Leo Awards that formally kicked off the league’s forty seventh Season, thanking his spouse, household, the Gin Kings group, and followers for his or her timeless help.
However far faraway from the highlight, and with simply members of the media earlier than him, Thompson spoke completely of the duty that got here with sporting the crown.
“After this award, I feel as a participant, I have to be mature much more for the team,” he mentioned. “It is a large duty. There’s the expectation of the team, the followers, and naturally the administration.
“I do know it’s going to be powerful. However I’m up for the problem,” he went on.
Thompson beat out TNT’s Mikey Williams, Magnolia’s Calvin Abueva, and NorthPort’s Robert Bolick to succeed San Miguel Beer cornerstone June Mar Fajardo, the six-time winner of the plum.
The evolution of Thompson into the PBA’s new face has been enjoying out for seven seasons. It has been manifesting in hovering rebounds, clutch triples, and steely nerves at crunch time.
However all that elegant displaying turned routine within the final Governors’ Cup, the place his indefatigable play carried the injury-hit crowd darlings from a dangerous playoff spot to the title. There, Thompson averaged 14.7 factors, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists to guide the Gin Kings—alongside the equally tireless Justin Brownlee—to the title.
“Everyone knows that proper from the beginning of my profession at Ginebra, I’m actually only a position participant,” he mentioned. “By means of hard work and self-discipline, I feel I’ve impressed in a method that basketball isn’t actually simply being about being expert.”
“So long as you might have the center, the self-discipline, and religion in God, it’s not unimaginable to get this award,” he added.
Thompson, already a six-time champion with the favored ball membership, is the fourth Ginebra participant to turn out to be the MVP. He follows the footsteps of Eric Menk, Jayjay Helterbrand, and the newly-retired Mark Caguioa.
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