Prior to the San Miguel Beermen’s game against the Star Hotshots, Chris Ross had given his usual pre-game pep talk to his teammates.
But it had a twist, as he concluded it by saying, “Go out and have fun.”
“You play your best ball when you’re having fun. We’re out there trying to enjoy ourselves and try to play as hard as we can and enjoy the game. When you’re enjoying the game, things happen for you that don’t usually happen,” the 32-year-old furthered.
This group of Beermen have been a dominant bunch, winning the Philippine Cup crown thrice in three years and finding themselves in a three-game winning streak early in the 2017 Commissioners Cup.
Outside of the court, they make sure that they have fun during practices to keep everything fresh. They had zumba classes during the Holy Week break, and even had a barber braid their hair just for kicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43diM7mDsds&feature=youtu.be&a
“Even in practice, we try to enjoy ourselves. We had Zumba class the other day,” the two-time PBA Finals MVP shared. “[Then the other day] Alex found a guy to braid our hair. He came into our practice and braided the other guys.
“I think you’ll see more of that going forward.”
And it is even showing with the way they play. During the third frame of their game against Star, Lassiter was able to find Charles Rhodes for a thunderous dunk. Ross then tried to follow it up with an off the board alley-oop attempt to Rhodes. However, the pass caught the import off-guard and was cleaned up by Ross that gave San Miguel a game-high 77-58 lead.
Charles Rhodes with a two-handed flush! #WeArePBA pic.twitter.com/oEgnvzYAdk
— Sports5 (@Sports5PH) April 16, 2017
Those plays not only drew cheers from the San Miguel faithful — they were also celebrated by the bench.
“It’s just getting used with each other and just having fun with each other and trying to keep it fresh. We really are enjoying each other right now,” admitted the eight-year league veteran, who finished the game with his conference-high 19 points.
It’s not all fun and games though, as the Beermen know when to get serious. With the Hotshots creeping up, cutting the lead to just four points with 1:01 minutes remaining, San Miguel were able to keep their composure, as Ross delivered the final blow that gave them their third win of the conference.
“We’re a veteran team and we were able to withstand that run. That’s what we really pride ourselves on. If we have a big lead like that, no matter if they make a run, we stay composed,” Ross said.
Now that they have found a blend of mixing business with pleasure, it’s safe to say that the Beermen’s goal of winning the Commissioners Cup, a championship that has eluded them, is not far-fetched.
“That’s the thing. We’re trying to build the team and just have fun,” quipped Ross.
