As Poy Erram basked in the glory of winning another PBA championship, one of his closest pals over at the other side could only bow his head in defeat.
With confetti raining inside the SMART Araneta Coliseum, Troy Rosario was a picture of dejection as he headed to the dugout after his bid to win a title with Ginebra got denied by his former team — and by someone he considers family.
TNT, through grit and grind, overcame all odds and bested the Kings in a Game 7 of epic proportions on Friday night to secure the Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup title and win their second championship this season.
“Ganun talaga, it’s a competitive sport,” Erram said shortly after their 87-93 overtime victory.
“Alam naman niya ‘yun. Ever since nung bago pa mag-start yung series, siya mismo nagsabi walang kai-kaibigan ‘di ba?”
Rosario made it known that he wants to win only the second crown of his career when he joined the league’s most popular team last December in one of the high-profile signings that’s taken place in the current free agency landscape.
But as fate would have it, he found himself going up against the very team he realized his pro dreams with back in 2015 — and against his best friend, whom he shared a title with when TNT ruled the 2021 Philippine Cup in Bacolor.
(C) PBA Images
And as the dust settled following easily one of the best Finals in recent memory, it was Erram and the Tropang Giga who emerged triumphant, foiling their former star forward’s hopes of striking gold with a team that once beat him for it.
But whatever happens, nothing will change between them, the Ateneo product said, as there remains mutual respect and admiration toward one another.
“Nag-uusap naman kami, kumustahan,” Erram said. “Pero pagdating sa court … Ang respeto kasi, if you play hard against him, that’s respect.
“If you don’t play at all, and you didn’t play your A-game, that’s disrespecting the hard work na ginagawa niya. So ‘yung respeto ko sa kanya, I play hard against him. And he’s gonna play hard against me. So nirerespeto ko siya roon.”
In fact, even during the hard-fought series that took its toll on Erram at times, Rosario and his family were providing much-needed support, which he truly appreciated and further proved how tight-knit they are.
“Walang ibang nakakaalam kundi kami lang ng wife ko: ‘Yung wife ni Troy, si Mich, sobrang laki ng tulong sa akin. Kasi nagpa-private message siya, nagtatanong siya sa’kin kung kumusta ako, kumusta kami ni Lee,” Erram shared.
“So ang laking tulong ‘yun para sa akin. And then si Troy, nagtatawagan kami, nagkukumustahan kami. Lagi niya sinasabi na block out the noise.”
That’s why Erram could not feel more blessed to have the presence of Rosario around even though they’re now playing for corporate rivals.
“Sobrang blessed ako na kahit magkalaban kami, alam mo ‘yun? Na concerned pa rin sila kasi magkaibigan kami una,” he said. “Sobrang blessed ako na kahit magkalaban kami they still think kung kumusta ako mentally.
“Kasi naging teammates din kami eh, we’re teammates, friends bago kami naging magkalaban. Sobrang blessed ako na nandiyan sila always.”
#WATCH: IT’S A BLESSING 🏆
Poy Erram calls this his sweetest championship yet after an emotional rollercoaster in the #PBA2025 Commissioner’s Cup Finals 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/FOqrJMl283
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2025
