TOKYO, Japan (4th FIBA Asia Cup): Vincent ‘Chot’ Reyes seems the redemption man in Philippines basketball. Five years ago, when the basketball crazy republic reinstated into the FIBA Asia fold after a brief suspension, it was Chot Reyes who was asked to take the reins of the National Team to the 24th FIBA Asia Championship at Tokushima in 2007.
And now as the RP National Team is attempting to regroup after the conclusion of the famous Smart Gilas I program, it is Reyes yet again who is the go-to guy.
In between these five years, Reyes went on to win many PBA titles with the highly successful Talk N Text in the domestic season and was also the assistant to the renowned Rajko Toroman when the Smart Gilas went on to end a 24-year drought by reaching the semifinals of the 26th FIBA Asia Championship at Wuhan (China) last year.
“Well life has been wonderful all this time,” Reyes began his conversation with FIBAASIA.NET after Philippines wound up their Prelim Round Group A engagements at the 4th FIBA Asia Cup here with a 3-1 record, winning three games in a row.
“I can’t say more mature or not, but I am sure wiser now on the bench and off it,” the 49-year-old joked.
“On a more serious note, I do believe that the awareness and importance of this level of basketball is much higher now in the Philippines. We are a lot more concerted and concentrated on doing things the right way,” he said.
Inevitably the conversation drew towards a comparison between the team that Reyes brought to Tokushima and the one he is with now in Tokyo.
“It’s completely irrelevant to compare the teams. And I think it’s unfair too,” he said.
“Having said that I have to say that the presence of Marcus (Douthit, the 210-cm American center naturalized by Philippines prior to the 26th FIBA Asia Championship) is making a huge difference,” said Reyes, who took his team TnT to Finals of four out of six conferences in the last two years.
Dwelling the on targets set for Philippines’ performance at the 4th FIBA Asia Cup, “Well back home the expectations have touched the sky. Especially, after we won the William Jones Cup last month.”
“Of course, there are some detractors too.
“Personally I think a medal here will answer both the groups. But more importantly I think a medal is overdue for Philippines basketball. If nothing else, it will add credence to all our hard work in the last five years,” he signed off.
S Mageshwaran / FIBA Asia
Source: http://tokyo2012.fibaasia.net/TournamentInterviewDetails.aspx?id=254
