TNT import Joshua Smith. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
TNT may have lost in the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, but for Joshua Smith, he’s still coming home victorious.
“Win or lose, I’m a winner. I get to see my daughter for the first time,” he said.
The hulking reinforcement’s girlfriend Kristy gave birth to their daughter Jayden on Saturday, making him more excited to come home.
That softened the blow for Smith, saying that despite only leading the KaTropa to only runner-up finish, his sacrifices are still worth it.
“I’m a dad. I obviously I want to go out there and win a championship, but it’s a different feeling when you got somebody depending on you,” he said.
“I just hope when my daughter gets older, she could see that her dad did everything he could. I try to set an example. Obviously, it’s a different circumstance that I wanted, but I can’t get mad.”
Smith surrendered that San Miguel was just the better team in the best-of-seven series, and it showed in the series-closing 115-91 Game 6, where TNT just got overwhelmed by the array of weapons by the Beermen.
“You got to tip your hats to them. It’s not really Xs and Os type of thing. They were the better team. They won four games and you got to give them respect,” he said, as he finished the said game with 15 points and six rebounds.
“They made adjustments. June Mar (Fajardo) is a three time MVP and he didn’t really play the last couple of games. That’s a sacrifice he made. That’s just them trying to win.”
Smith also expressed gratitude with the trust TNT had in him, sticking with him despite his nagging foot injuries that hounded him in the championship series.
“It’s been fun. Some ups, some downs. The goal at the start of the conference is to get to the championship, and we got to the championship. Obviously, we didn’t win it but like I said, you just got to get better next year,” he said.
The 25-year-old vowed that this won’t be his last game for the KaTropa.
“I want to thank the fans and I want to say that this ain’t the last time they’ll see me,” he said.