After eight years of donning the Green and Gold, L-Jay Gonzales has concluded his final dance.
A native of San Mateo, Isabela, he has showcased his talents in the country’s capital for Far Eastern University, leaving an indelible mark as one of the most beloved figures to ever wear the Tamaraws jersey.
On Saturday, at the legendary SMART Araneta Coliseum, Gonzales played his last game—a 57-53 loss to the University of Santo Tomas.
It wasn’t the ideal conclusion to Gonzales’ career in Morayta; he fouled out with two minutes remaining, finishing with just four points. Despite this, he managed to secure six rebounds, provide four assists, and record three steals and a block.
“Sobrang happy na may halong malungkot kasi hindi na ako makakabalik dito sa UAAP,” said the shifty combo guard after his final game.
“Happy ako na natapos ko yung season ko na maayos din kahit na may mga injuries ako, pinilit ko pa rin maglaro kasi gusto kong maishare din kung anong meron ako sa UAAP and happy ako na tinulungan ako ng mga coaches na laging nandiyan, laging nagaadvise sa amin,” he continued.
Gonzales, a champion and a Mythical Five member in the juniors division with FEU-Diliman, also shared a lengthy post on his Facebook account hours after the game.
In the post, he thanked the people behind his successful story while also sharing around 30 photos of his eight-year storied career in FEU.
“The ‘Be Brave’ mantra inspired me during my eight years at FEU. It was a great honor and privilege to fight for my beloved team. From my high school journey up to my college years, I cannot express how grateful I am for the opportunity to share my talent when it comes to basketball,” read the post of Gonzales.
What’s next for the humble guard is still a question mark as he looks to address his injuries, including the removal of bone spurs that he played through.
For now, he offered his advice to the Tamaraws who will still don the jersey next season.
The only graduating players of FEU are Gonzales, James Tempra, and Mo Faty.
“Sana sumunod lang sila sa coaches and sana makinig sila lagi. Nandito lang naman kami kung kailangan nila ng support so sana maibigay ko rin yung experience ko sa UAAP, matulungan ko rin sila papunta sa next season,” Gonzales said in his final UAAP post-game interview.
His eight years in FEU may have finally reached an end, but one thing’s for sure for Gonzales, as he stated in his closing line on his Facebook post.
“My heart will still shout, ‘Once a Tamaraw, always a Tamaraw’.”
