Jayson Castro. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines-Jayson Castro felt TNT’s run to the PBA Governors’ Cup title had plenty of meaning, especially after ending the dominance of crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra in the season-ending conference.
The Tropang Giga’s six-game triumph over the Gin Kings marked the eighth championship in the storied career of Castro, who also had a key contribution with his now-comfortable role off the bench.
“This championship has a different feeling, especially playing against Ginebra,” Castro said in Filipino after the series concluded Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Castro had previously met Ginebra twice in the Finals, with TNT winning the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup before losing the title clash for the 2020 Philippine Cup.
TNT considered itself as the underdog going into the latest championship encounter, given Ginebra’s crowd advantage, its depth and the presence of resident import Justin Brownlee.
“Ginebra has a lot of fans and they have a lineup that is very deep,” Castro said. “They also have an import who not only plays well, but also fits quite well with their system.
“So winning this championship is very sweet. This is probably one of the most memorable championships of my career,” he added.
Winning trophies have been rare in the latter part of Castro’s 14-year career as San Miguel Corporation teams won 14 of the last 16 conferences spanning seven seasons, four of which came at the expense of TNT.
But it was TNT which accounted for the two times that SMC squads failed to win it all, including the 2021 Philippine Cup when Castro played a similar role in his home province of Pampanga.