Troy Rosario feels excited to go up against the team he started out with as Ginebra and TNT will duke it out in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
The veteran forward finds himself back in the Big Dance after over two years, and it could not be a better story since he’ll have to face the Tropang Giga — yes, versus the team he won his first and lone title so far.
“I’m excited. New team, tapos former team makakalaban,” he said moments after the Kings’ 126-99 ouster of NorthPort in Game 5 of the semifinals at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, Friday night.
“Hopefully, isang magandang series.”
Rosario last played in a PBA Finals in 2022, and it ended in heartbreak. TNT bowed to San Miguel, failing to defend the Philippine Cup crown in seven.
It also proved to be his last appearance with the flagship MVP Group franchise. Fifteen days after Game 7, the second overall pick of the 2015 class got traded to Blackwater through a three-team trade that involved NLEX.
That effectively ended his tenure with the Tropang Giga, which lasted for seven years and resulted in a 2021 Philippine Cup title run in Bacolor.
Now, he aims for his second league championship with the crowd darlings, whom he signed with as a free agent in the middle of Season 49.
“Hopefully isang magandang series. Best friend ko nandoon din. so magandang matchup. ‘Yung Finals nung last [conference], sila rin nagtapat. Magandang series. Hopefully mabigay natin sa PBA fans ‘yung gusto nilang laban,” he said.
It’s going to be a reunion of sorts as well, particularly with his close pal in Poy Erram in a looming frontcourt matchup that should add more color to the series.
“Poy Erram, wala munang kaibi-kaibigan,” Rosario said with a chuckle, issuing a warning to the former Defensive Player of the Year — all in jest, of course.
But before anything else, the 33-year-old wants to focus on the week heading into Game 1, mostly to rest and recover from his minor injuries.
Rosario suffered a sprained right ankle during the third quarter of Game 5 and did not return, although he allayed fears and said that he’d be fine soon.
“Na-tweak lang ‘yung ankle, medyo lang naman maga pero good thing may one week pa before Game 1 so makaka-recover pa,” said the four-time All-Star, who left the match with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.
“Medyo mataas lang, nalalagyan ko naman ng weight, so ‘yun ‘yung isa sa mga good sign. Si PT Arcee [Cua] naman, positive siya na bababa ‘yung maga.”
