To inspire others is what Phoenix Super LPG aims to do in its journey in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup inside the bubble at the Clark Freeport Zone.
And so far, the Fuel Masters have been doing just that. On Thursday, it survived NorthPort, to go up 2-0 for a share of leadership with TNT.
“Kami, masaya kami na nandito kami because we know what we could do in the bubble. It’s to inspire others,” said interim head coach Topex Robinson.
“The way we play and not give up, that’s what we’re trying to do,” added the 45-year-old mentor, who carried over his ‘love, serve, care’ mantra to Phoenix.
But the Fuel Masters aren’t just thinking all about themselves. For them, what they look at as family isn’t just their team per se, but the whole of PBA.
And that is why Phoenix is as devastated as Alaska when news broke this morning that Kevin Racal is done for the season due to a right ACL tear.
“We’re also honoring the players that we lost to injuries. We discussed Kevin Racal, how he’s going through right now,” Robinson said.
Robinson himself feels for the 29-year-old, since they spent years together with the Aces when the former served as an assistant coach there.
It could be remembered that the cager-turned-coach was brought along by Coach Louie Alas when he took over Phoenix in 2017.
And it could be remembered, too, that former Alaska head coach Alex Compton quipped before that every Aces-Fuel Masters game is a reunion.
Now, Robinson and his wards just pray for the best for Racal as he faces another tough test in his young career.
“We’re here as a family and if there’s somebody that’s fallen, we pray for that fallen player of ours.”
