No hard feelings for exiting TNT import Amundson
Lou Amundson tries to get away from the defense of JC Intal and Jameel McKay. PBA IMAGES
ANTIPOLO — Lou Amundson feels nothing but gratitude as he wrapped up his short two-game stint with TNT.
Finishing his tour of duty with a 20-point, 8-rebound, and two block performance in his swansong, a 135-109 clobbering of Phoenix on Sunday, the 10-year NBA veteran hoped that he could have delivered a pair of wins in his brief stay with the KaTropa.
“I wish we could have gotten the win on Friday,” he said, lamenting TNT’s 94-89 defeat to Meralco two days back. “We played well today. It’s a bit of an adjustment for me to get used to the style and the pace of the game, how the officials ref the game. It was better today.”
Averaging 19.5 points on 40 percent shooting from the field, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks, Amundson has made a good account of himself and shared that he has bonded well with the team, making it hard for him to leave.
“Really, it’s kind of bittersweet. I like it here and my teammates are great people, coaches are great people. I’m just blessed with this opportunity and to be on this team for this short amount of time. It’s really enjoyable and I was able to get good experience here,” he said.
But knowing how the business works, the 34-year-old wishes nothing but great things for the KaTropa, especially with Donte Greene coming in.
“I think they’re going to be great. Having Jayson (Castro) was obviously huge for them. He’s a great player, so that’s a big lift,” he said. “They have a lot of great young players and they have to learn how to play without Jayson. The way they played today, fast, uptempo, fastbreaks, and good defense, the sky is the limit for this team.”
“I think (Greene) will be fine. He’s a great scorer. He shoots the ball from deep and just a talented scorer. He’s going to bring that scoring punch when Jayson is not with the team and I think he’ll integrate nicely.”
The former UNLV Rebel is also keeping his hopes up that this won’t be his first and last opportunity to play in the PBA.
“I would love to play here again. Hopefully, by having a little bit of experience here, I was able to show some teams what I have to offer and maybe, I’ll be back for another team in the future.”
For now, Amundson looks forward to vacationing in Palawan before trying his luck in Europe or back in the NBA.
“I’ll try to see some of the islands. I’ll go to Palawan for a few days, relax by the beach, get some sun, and fly back home. Then hopefully, I’ll find another team, hopefully a good European team. This is my first experience outside of the NBA and outside of the US, so I’m just trying to enjoy it and be in the moment and enjoy this experience,” he said. “If it’s the NBA, I hope so. You’ll never know. We’ll see what happens.”
