Almond Vosotros prayed so hard for another opportunity to play in the PBA that he sacrificed spending quality time with his family when TNT came calling.
The gunslinging guard was already scheduled to leave for Japan together with his wife and their children for a vacation, but ultimately cancelled the trip when the Tropang 5G looked at him to remedy their worsening backcourt problems.
Already without Jayson Castro and with Rey Nambatac still recovering, the team has also lost Jielo Razon after he underwent an appendectomy last week.
“Meron na siyang vacation to Japan,” bared Coach Chot Reyes, “Nabili na ‘yung ticket, na-book na lahat ng hotel with his whole family — his wife and his two kids. And he gave that up. Kinancel niya ‘yon just to have this opportunity.”
The 35-year-old made his PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup debut on Friday evening against NorthPort, and he hardly missed a beat in his return.
He knocked down four triples for 12 points, nine of which he made in the second quarter alone to power the decisive 13-1 run toward a 33-21 lead that set the tone for the 94-70 rout, stretching their winning streak to five.
It was a case of things falling into place for the former PBA 3×3 star as his pinpoint accuracy from beyond the arc was exactly the recipe TNT needed to break the Batang Pier’s zone defense, leading to that good of a showing.
(C) PBA Images
“The thing with Almond, he needs very little warmup. Makapal kasi mukha nito eh, kaya ‘di niya kailangan ng warmup; ‘di siya nahihiya,” Reyes said, smiling.
“He’ll really let it fly. But we said that that’s his job, alam naman niya na ‘yun talaga ang trabaho niya. It was a very close game until those three-pointers that he made in the second quarter. [It] was the difference.”
But more than anything, it was Vosotros’ way of showing his utmost gratitude to TNT, which has been his home over the last six years.
“Thankful ako sa opportunity. Thankful ako kina Coach Chot, thankful ako sa lahat ng coaching staff, na nabigyan ulit ako ng chance,” he said.
The former Gilas Cadet isn’t taking this chance for granted, with his sights all set on proving that he deserves this comeback.
“Since nawala ako sa TNT, parang mas naging motivated ako na ‘wag kong pabayaan ‘yung sarili ko, kasi anytime soon baka may tumawag sa akin,” said Vosotros, who became a free agent at the end of the last Commissioner’s Cup.
‘”Yun nga ‘yung lagi kong pinagpe-pray, na sana mabigyan ako ng second chance. Ayun, dumating,” the La Salle product added.
“Ngayon, ayoko nang sayangin ‘yung opportunity na nandito ngayon sa harap ko.”
