Gabe Norwood has always wanted to leave a place better than it used to be, and the decorated wing believes that he’s done so with Rain or Shine.
The 40-year-old has actually been living with that mantra since college, and there should be no question whatsoever how much he embodied that as he bid farewell to the only franchise he spent his 17-year PBA career with.
“My college coach, first day of practice every year in my four years at George Mason University, we had a quote of the day. And he’d always say, ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ Coach Yeng (Guiao) kind of harps on that as well,” he said.
“I’d like to think that my walking away right now has put the organization in a better spot than it was when I showed up.”
Norwood played his last game on Monday night, and it was quite unfortunate that he didn’t get a better exit as the Elasto Painters absorbed a 98-89 loss to Meralco, which sent them out of the Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
He was, of course, full of reflections, as the entire crew would have wanted to advance to the semis and make his final conference more memorable.
“I’ve tried to leave it out on the court, tried my best to get everything out of this 40-year-old body,” said the 11-time All-Star, who had three points.
Adding more to the disappointment was the fact that they blew a twice-to-beat disadvantage, but even if it had been an unceremonious end, Norwood remains extremely proud of how everything turned out since arriving in 2008.
And as he leaves behind a better Rain or Shine, the Fayetteville-native is looking forward to seeing how the future will unfold for the present batch.
“I think I pride myself as a pretty loyal person. Especially if loyalty’s shown to me and Rain or Shine did that from day one,” he said.
“Winning isn’t easy in the PBA, and I think we understand the difficulties that may come with–resources and things like that. But Rain or Shine finds ways to compete and I take a lot of pride in that,” added Norwood.
“I’ve played for underdogs my whole career. I like being the underdog. It makes winning much more special,” continued the first overall pick, who helped the club win a pair of PBA championships.
“I’m excited for this group.”
Asked what’s next for him now that he’s hanging up his basketball sneakers for good, coaching would be a part of his next chapter, particularly with Gilas Pilipinas Youth as a member of LA Tenorio’s brain trust.
And perhaps, he’d be serving as an assistant of Yeng Guiao–depending on how discussions would turn out with the Rain or Shine top brass.
However, all that Norwood would really want to focus on, for now, is his family, wanting to spend more time with his wife and their children.
“I gotta be the best dad I can be, put my kids in the best situation they can be in to grow as young men and maximize their talents in what they’re into. That’s my first priority,” he said.
“And then, anything after that is just icing on the cake. Family first, and figure out the basketball stuff later.”
