Chris McCullough had the honor of cutting the net after San Miguel’s triumph in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
And it was a moment he will relish for the rest of his life.
“It feels good to be a champion.”
When McCullough arrived in the Philippines last July, the 29th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft had just come off a heartbreak.
Just a month before he replaced Charles Rhodes, McCullough was playing for Brujos de Guayam. They had just suffered a two-game semis sweep in Puerto Rican league Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
And San Miguel hoped that the 24-year-old could turn around their conference, as the Beermen were in dire straits with a 2-5 record.
“I just came in and helped the team that’s it,” he said,, when asked if he saw himself as the Beermen’s savior.
The 6-foot-9 forward turned things around for the Beermen, leading the squad to the seventh seed.
From there, San Miguel stunned second-seed Northport before eliminating Rain or Shine in the semis. Then in the Finals, they took down the Terrence Jones-led TNT in six grueling games.
“Besides high school, this is my first time. This is my first pro championship,” said the product of IMG Academy.
During his month-long stay in the Philippines, McCullough has always felt the love from the Filipino fans. And he hopes that he could come back in one way or another.
“I wanna play, man. If I get naturalized, I wanna play. It’s an opportunity for me, so I’d love to play,” he said about the prospect of him playing in Gilas.
“Hopefully, I’ll be back in the NBA next yea. If not, I’ll be back at San Miguel.”
But for now, he has one thing in mind.
“I’m about to go to Jollibee right now and get two-pieces with extra gravy.”
