PBA: Mikey Williams never made move to talk to TNT

Former TNT guard Mikey Williams in attendance during a PBA game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa said Mikey Williams never made an attempt to reach out and settle the never-ending saga surrounding the contract dispute between both parties.

“He never made a move when he was here,” Lastimosa told the Inquirer to react to an online column recently.

READ: PBA: The Mikey Williams-TNT saga continues

Lastimosa is refuting the said piece, detailing that Williams tried to communicate with TNT coach Chot Reyes and team owner Manny V. Pangilinan in order to sort out the issue that has been on-and-off since Williams tried to negotiate for a new deal in 2023.

Williams was in the country before and after he played for Strong Group Athletics in the Dubai Invitational Tournament, even attending a few PBA games. One of those was TNT’s win over Barangay Ginebra in the eliminations.

During that game, Williams had a chance to dap up with former Tropang Giga teammates, namely Calvin Oftana, Poy Erram and Brian Heruela. Lastimosa, however, said that the two-time Finals Most Valuable Player didn’t do the same to TNT management.

READ: PBA: Mikey Williams says he ‘always’ wants to play for TNT

“We all saw him in the game and never said hi to Chot and [TNT Governor and PBA chairman Ricky Vargas]—never mind me,” he said. “If he really wanted to come back and play for TNT, he would have approached us and arranged a meeting.”

Williams’ appearance in that TNT-Ginebra game raised speculations of a return or even a trade, with Converge among those seen then as his future destination.