Phoenix not only fought for pride in its PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup meeting versus NorthPort on Wednesday, in a meeting between eliminated sides.
The Fuel Masters dedicated the game to guard JC Cullar and his family, who lost their dear patriarch just a day before facing the Batang Pier.
“His dad passed away yesterday,” disclosed head coach Jamike Jarin moments after their 118-107 win at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
“So let’s just give a prayer for the Cullar family. He played tonight. We dedicated the game to his family and to the soul of his father.”
The former College of St. Benilde captain ball actually had Phoenix’s blessing to leave as soon as he could to be there with his family, who are based in Italy.
“The first thing that I told him was, ‘Be with your family,'” said Jarin. “They’re from Italy, right? I said, ‘Go and get the fastest flight to be with your family.'”
But Cullar insisted on playing with his second family, the Fuel Masters, even though they’re no longer vying for a playoff spot.
All because the former Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguard believes that his father would be much happier to watch him play, thus his decision to suit up and compete.
“He said I have an obligation to my family here, to my Phoenix family,” said the veteran bench tactician. “He said, ‘My dad would love to see me play.'”
Cullar played for seven minutes and finished with four points and four assists, and Jarin could only laud his ward’s dedication even in a time of grief.
“I just salute him for that,” he said. “If I were in his position, I wouldn’t even be able to move. You have to give a lot of credit, a lot of heart, to JC.”
Even Jason Perkins tipped his hat to Cullar, who’s preparing to catch a red-eye flight on Thursday bound for Italy — yes, just hours after the game.
“It’s really hard to play after that happens with your family,” said the star forward, who finished with a game-high 26 points alongside eight rebounds and four assists. “He has a flight at 2:00 AM, but he still had the strength to come out and play.
“I think that really inspired and motivated us today.”
