With TNT winning its second championship in the 49th PBA season, talks of a Grand Slam are now unavoidable for Chot Reyes.
It’s a feat that eluded him during the 2010-2011 season when TNT fell short after losing to Petron in Game 7 of the Governors’ Cup Finals.
Now, the former Gilas head coach acknowledges the immense pressure on his team to close out the season with the Philippine Cup title.
“I guess it couldn’t be avoided at this point, right? And I hope this is the last time you ask me about it. But yeah, I acknowledge that fact now. There’s going to be tremendous pressure on us,” said Reyes, who just secured his 11th PBA championship in his illustrious 36-year coaching career.
“There’s going to be a huge target on our backs. Of course, 11 other teams are going to do their best to stop us.”
However, TNT will face a different challenge in the all-Filipino conference.
Three-time PBA Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will no longer be around, and to make matters worse, TNT will be without Jayson Castro for the entire tournament.
He suffered a full-thickness patellar tendon tear in his right knee, which occurred in Game 2 of their semifinals series against Rain or Shine.
“As you can see, we don’t really have the best talent. We don’t have the deepest bench. But there’s something about our players. They just refuse to quit,” said the six-time PBA Coach of the Year.
Yet, just as they did in the Finals against Ginebra — where they overcame the odds against a star-studded Gin Kings squad — TNT will fight for the Philippine Cup, aiming for the rare Grand Slam in the process.
With battle-hardened players like Roger Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana, Poy Erram, Glenn Khobuntin, Kim Aurin, and Kelly Williams — along with the potential return of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser — Reyes knows his team has the personnel to chase history.
“So, you know, that’s what we’re going to bring into this next conference. Because, you know, what I’ve learned throughout my life is that if you work hard, you give yourself a chance for good things to happen. It’s not a guarantee, but at least you put yourself in a good position, and that’s what we’ve done with this victory. We’ve put ourselves in that position,” he said.
“So you can bet that we’re going to come out, work even harder, and try our best. Not necessarily to capture the Grand Slam — but because there’s another tournament, another competition in front of us, and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”
#WATCH: IT WAS NOT ABOUT ME, IT WAS ABOUT WE 🎯
Coach Chot Reyes knew TNT wasn’t favored against Ginebra, but pure effort made the difference in the #PBA2025 Commissioner’s Cup Finals 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/TBNBblW9iq
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2025
