Entering the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, Joe Devance had nothing else to prove. Already a seven-time PBA champion, a five-time All-Star, and a member of the elite 5000 points club, his career has already been defined.
Nursing a torn plantar fascia in his left foot, it has been well-documented that the 35-year-old, who has a fear of needles, took anaesthetic shots just to survive the playoff grind. Though he could have just sat out the playoffs, Devance gutted it out but ultimately fell short, as the mountain was just too high to climb, the San Miguel Beermen just too tough to beat.
“We faced a tough San Miguel team. They played great the whole conference. They got way too many weapons,” the 10-year veteran said moments after their Game Five loss.
“We tried our best but we just couldn’t get the wins.”
Literally playing on just one foot, Devance was arguably the best player of Ginebra during the series, averaging 13.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 30.8 minutes of game time. Moreover, he logged in 46 minutes in Game Five, two days after punching in his Ginebra-best 22 points. Both games though ended in losses.
“I did what I could. I don’t know what to say.
“I feel kinda bad right now. But San Miguel played great. That’ s a great team,” the 6-foot-7 utility forward admitted.
And after making huge sacrifices for the Barangay this conference, Devance knows that he will be out for the better part of the Commissioners Cup, as he needs to undergo surgery to heal his injury.
“I’ll probably get surgery. So I may be out for a few months,” the native of Hawaii shared.
Only time will tell whether there will be repercussions resulting from the risk Devance took. But as of now, he has no regrets, knowing that the war may not have been won but the brotherhood that was the developed was all worth it.
“It was all worth it. Just to battle with these guys, they played their hearts out. I don’t regret anything,” he declared.
“Hopefully, my foot won’t be affected later in life. But I’ll worry about that if it happens.”
