TNT’s Harvey Carey retires after 17 PBA seasons

FILE – Harvey Carey. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — TNT veteran Harvey Carey has called it a career after playing 17 seasons in the PBA.

Ricky Vargas, TNT governor and PBA Board chair, expressed his gratitude to Carey, who spent his entire career with the franchise.

“While management regrets losing Harvey, who has been a great teammate, who leads with example and has been part of TNT Tropang Giga since he started his career in the PBA and helped us win championships, we do fully understand and appreciate the motivation of Harvey to stay with his family in the USA,” Vargas said in a statement Monday.

“He has been a quiet pillar of strength in building the TNT culture. I am personally grateful to Harvey for his loyalty, honesty, and contributions to the team,” he added.

The 6-foot-3 Carey, 41, was the fourth overall pick by TNT in 2003.

The hardworking forward helped TNT win seven championships.

“He has been a consummate leader, proven winner, great teammate and an excellent basketball player,” TNT team manager Gabby Cui wrote on Twitter.

“Not much can be said except we could NOT have won ANY ONE of our titles while I was there without @ManilaBlack4,” posted former TNT head coach Chot Reyes, who called the shots for TNT from 2008 to 2012 and guided the team to four PBA titles, on Twitter.