Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Chris Tiu said he “seriously reconsidered” postponing his retirement from basketball for one more conference in the PBA at the very least.
Tiu officially called it quits after six seasons in the PBA all with Rain or Shine, which drafted him seventh overall in 2012.
The 33-year-old Tiu said he had planned to announce his retirement after the Elasto Painters’ final game of last season but decided to hold it off until his meeting with Rain or Shine team owners.
READ: Time to move on: Chris Tiu retires from basketball
“I had intended to announce my retirement immediately after the game, through my friends from the press. But I thought it was better to postpone it until I had spoken to our team owners, as boss Raymond Yu and Terry Que politely asked me to stay on,” Tiu wrote in a heartfelt blog post entitled, “My Final Ride.”
“In all honesty, I took to heart their words and seriously reconsidered playing another season or at least just one conference.”
Tiu also said skipping his last game crossed his mind, but he ended up making the right decision in suiting up.
Tiu delivered a career performance with 30 points in what turned out to be his swan song and led Rain or Shine to victory for one last time.
READ: Chris Tiu delivers career game in possible swan song
“I will always cherish the memory of my last game in the PBA. After a less than stellar performance of our team this season, I honestly thought of just sitting out the last game, being able to already hit my career-high score twice in the last 3 games. At least I could take some pride in that, and not end my basketball career on a low note,” he wrote.
“That was the plan. But I guess God sometimes has other plans for us – most of the time, even better than the plans we have for ourselves.”
Tiu, a one-time PBA champion, feels he still has some gas left in the tank to squeeze out “one to two more productive PBA seasons,” but adds he has more important matters to attend to beginning with his family and helping communities.
READ: Chris Tiu, wife expecting first baby
To be honest, I think I have at least 1 or 2 more productive PBA seasons left in me. But at the same time, I want to channel my current energy and enthusiasm into other projects that are sustainable and have positive impact to the community, some new and some which we have started years ago,” he said.
“I believe it’s about time I start a career as a full-fledged businessman and live up to my commitment to the family. At the same time, we have an infant and a toddler who are growing incredibly fast. I want to cherish every moment with them and give them my full attention while I can, which is very challenging to do with basketball where I am overly particular with my training and resting routine.”
A genuine class act on and off the court, Tiu never forgot to express his gratitude to the people who helped him in his journey.
One of Tiu’s last stints was a return to the national team for the 2018 Asian Games where the Philippine team placed fifth, its best finish since 2002.
Tiu felt wearing the country’s colors after six years brought his path full circle.
“And just like in my last PBA game on November 3, 2018 vs NLEX, I poured out everything, and God really did the rest. What transpired that day, and at every step of the way in my career for that matter, was certainly a result of His divine plan. He surprised even me, and gave me more than I hoped for in a final appearance. To top it all off, I was honored with the chance to represent the National Team once more in the recent Asian Games after 6 long years away from the Pilipinas jersey. This has always been my dream. If that isn’t full circle, I don’t know what is. So truly, I could not have asked for a more beautiful journey and ending.”