Head coach Ryan Gregorio. Photo by Nuki Sabio/ PBA
MANILA, Philippines – Like the biblical character Samson, it seems Meralco Coach Ryan Gregorio draws his team’s strength from, none other than, his hair.
After the Bolts defeated a strong contender in Rain or Shine, 82-76, on Friday in the 2013 PBA Governors’ Cup, Gregorio admitted that he hasn’t had a haircut for the last five months — not for style — but for basketball reasons.
For the longest time, Gregorio has sported a clean cut but not this time as he now has a longer slicked back ‘do.
“I hate to be in the middle of the pack. So instead of getting a clean shave, I will just grow my hair long,” said Gregorio as he was on his way out of the press room at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Hopefully it could give me good luck. It’s basketball related,” he added.
But Meralco hopes to extend its three-game winning streak which, like Gregorio’s hair, is the longest the team has had over the last eight conferences, according to PBA statistician Fidel Mangonon.
And these didn’t come easy as the victories came against three reigning conference champions — Talk N’ Text, Alaska, and then Rain or Shine.
Apart from having a prolific scoring import, the Bolts managed to nab solo second place behind their vaunted defense, especially down the stretch.
“We’re not satisfied. We still want to continue to climb up the ladder and hopefully get to the mountain top with defense as our strongest armor,” Gregorio said