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For the first time in a long time, Kelly Nabong is beaming.
And he has every reason to do so. After all, he’s playing the best basketball in his six-year professional career.
On Sunday, Nabong had one of his most impressive games for GlobalPort in a 107-88 win over his former team Meralco.
“There’s always motivation playing against your former teammates and your former coach,” he said after posting 17 points and 17 rebounds.
But the 29-year-old doesn’t want to put too much color in the tussle with winning as his only focus.
“It was just like any other game. We always come into a game wanting to blow our opponents out. We always want to come in and make that a sure win. We don’t want to leave room for comebacks,” he said. “Meralco is a good team, don’t get me wrong. We just played better and it feels good to win against them.”
Nabong was one of the reasons why the Batang Pier got the headstart over the Bolts. He connected on his first three shots as his side slowly built a 20-point lead, 36-16, in the second quarter that ballooned to as high as 29, 94-65, late in the game.
Nabong cleared he doesn’t have an axe to grind against his former teammates, sharing that up to now, he shares a good relationship with a bunch of them despite being cut in the offseason.
“I talk to all the players. I have no problems with the players. They’re all great guys over there, we still talk to this day,” he said. “It’s been water under the bridge the day after it happened. No hard feelings to nobody.”
Nabong reiterated that he has moved on and would rather focus on his current run with the Batang Pier in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup.
“Everything happens for a reason. I’m just blessed to get another chance to play basketball with my other former team, GlobalPort, and I’m just really blessed to still be here. We’re really glad we got this win, but one win doesn’t stop here. We’re trying to get to the top,” he said.