Kelly Williams grateful for Gilas inclusion at 41: ‘It’s nice to be appreciated’

TNT veteran Kelly Williams is included in the latest Gilas Pilipinas roster. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–Kelly Williams is honored with his surprise inclusion to the Gilas Pilipinas pool following the absence of key frontline players for the sixth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers later this month.

“[Gilas coach] Chot [Reyes] knows that I’m always ready for him if he needs me,” Williams said after helping the TNT Tropang Giga pull off a 138-116 rout of the Blackwater Bossing in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The 41-year-old was brought back to possibly don the national team colors for the home matches against Lebanon and Jordan at Philippine Arena after Japeth Aguilar and naturalized player Ange Kouame were ruled out due to injuries.

Williams was also included to fill the void left by Kai Sotto, who decided to opt out of the final phase of the qualifying stage.

“With Japeth, Kai and Big Ange out, coach is kind of scrambling,” Williams continued before downplaying his chances. “Let’s see what happens. But right now, it’s just the pool. We’ll see what happens day-by-day.”

Last year saw Williams taking part in the second window of the qualifiers, his first Gilas duty in a major competition since the 2011 Fiba Asia Championship in Wuhan, China.

But being considered again, even if the chances are slim, is enough for Williams to feel gratified.

“I’m grateful that my talents and my abilities are being appreciated,” he said. “Since I’ve been here, a lot of emphasis is put on how old a player is despite how effective he is playing.

“I’ve seen it time and time again over the last couple of decades. To be appreciated at 41 and obviously to be able to still play at a high level, for myself personally, it’s nice to be appreciated. But like I said, we’ll see what happens.”