No friends on court for Finals MVP Sporting Chance
San Miguel Beer point guard Chris Ross said yesterday his emergence as the Finals MVP in the last two Philippine Cups wouldn’t have been possible without coach Leo Austria, JuneMar Fajardo and the rest of the Beermen, calling it a blessing to join the franchise after f our years of hopping around in the PBA.
Ross, 31, was the third overall pick in the 2009 PBA draft after Japeth Aguilar and Rico Maierhofer and played for Coca-Cola, Sta. Lucia Realty and Meralco before moving to San Miguel. In seven previous seasons, Ross averaged 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists and shot 17.8 percent from beyond the arc. In the just- concluded Philippine Cup Finals which San Miguel won, 4-1, over Barangay Ginebra, Ross averaged 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 9.2 assists and hit 39.1 percent from distance. The 6-1 Ross was San Miguel’s leading scorer in the Finals, outpointing the likes of Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos. Ross has now played on four PBA title squads, including the last three San Miguel teams that won the Philippine Cup.
Ross said the opportunity to play with a high-caliber team led to his increased productivity. “JuneMar’s our main guy,” he said. “What makes JuneMar a great player isn’t just his ability to dominate a game but also his mindset of doing things to get his teammates to perform at a high level. As for coach Leo, he’s big on rules and he instilled discipline in our team. He puts in long hours of work and watches lots of video. He’s a hands-on coach who trusts his players and gives us the keys to win a game. He knows when to send in which guys and reads situations well. We owe coach Leo a lot in setting the stage for us to succeed.”
In the recent Philippine Cup Finals, Ross said he grabbed the opportunity to show his stuff when Ginebra would leave him open to double Fajardo. “I’m a confident guy,” he said. “Even when I had a shaky start in my PBA career, I never lost confidence in myself. In the Finals, I didn’t back down from the opportunity to play in the spotlight. Playing in the Finals is the chance to play for the championship, to make a name for yourself. I never doubted that I could play in the PBA. I’m grateful to San Miguel for the opportunity to prove myself.”
Ross said he was challenged by Sol Mercado and L. A. Tenorio in the Finals. “Sol’s a good friend just like Gabe (Norwood), Josh (Urbiztondo) and JDV (Joe De Vance) but on the court, there are no friends,” he said. “All I’ve got are the brothers on my team. The Ginebra crowd was loud but we had our loyal San Miguel fans, too. When I play, I block out the crowd from my mind. I just focus on the game. It’s an amazing and indescribable feeling to play before so many fans, no matter whom they’re cheering for. The San Miguel fans were so incredible during the Finals, sending text messages of support, showing a lot of love.”
Ross said he had to scramble for 10 to 15 tickets each game in the Finals for his relatives. “My mother’s brother Tito Ronel (Falango), who lives in Valenzuela, watches all our games and of course, I’ve got my cousins and other relatives,” he said. “My father (Billy) was an Air Force man stationed at Clark and married my mom (Virginia), who’s from Tacloban, in the Philippines. My brother William and sister Tracy were born here. I was born in the US after my family moved back. When I was five, my dad got me involved in sports playing baseball, basketball and football. In high school, I played free safety in football and developed my ability to make reads, to anticipate where the ball is going. I had Division I scholarship offers for football but I stuck to basketball. I ended up playing two years of basketball at Marshall University, a Division I school where Chris Lutz also went to.”