Goorjian maintains high respect for Chot

BAY Area coach Brian Goorjian maintains high respect for TNT head coach Chot Reyes, noting how much the many-time PBA champion coach has sacrificed in handling and preparing Gilas Pilipinas for the FIBA World Cup, which the Philippines is cohosting in 2023.

“He (Reyes) has done such an amazing job. I’m with the Australian national team. I’m not coaching the window games. He has been traveling everywhere and coaching Gilas and also coming back and doing this (PBA),” said Goorjian, moments after his Bay Area Dragons clobbered Reyes’ injury-depleted TNT team, 140108, on Wednesday.

“I’ve just been this (Bay Area coach) and had (another) coach take that side (FIBA qualifiers for Australia). Full respect for him.”

Goorjian, the 69-year-old veteran mentor, is the concurrent Australian men’s basketball coach.

After the Bay Area-TNT game, the Australian-American approached the opposing side and shook hands with Reyes at midcourt with both coaches holding a brief conversation.

Goorjian said he has asked Reyes to have a chat over meal soon as the six-time NBL champion coach intends to learn from the TNT mentor.

“We are both involved with national teams, to share some ideas, some thoughts moving forward. I have respect for his basketball brain, and as I said, we got a little break here, maybe we can get together and have a meal and break bread,” shared Goorjian.

“What he has seen in the region, what he sees coming, I just want to get his thoughts from him and get some ideas, and again break some bread with a friend.”

Goorjian admitted knowing Reyes since the 1990s. They first clashed as coaches during the 2010 Smart Philippine Invitational Challenge.

Back then, Goorjian was in his first year as head coach of the Dongguan New Century Leopards, which joined the invitational.

Talk ‘N Text defeated Dongguan in the battle for third place, 85-73.