De Ocampo shares MVP plum with team, says they’re all winners
Ranidel De Ocampo bags finals MVP award. Photo PBA Images/Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — He was certainly the Most Valuable Player of the 2012-2013 PBA Philippine Cup finals, but Ranidel De Ocampo believes the entire Talk N’ Text squad should be given that honor.
And it was that exact unselfish mentality that has molded the Texters — who zoomed to a historic third straight All-Filipino Cup title on Wednesday — to the force they are now in the league.
“Masaya ako kasi first award ko ito as finals MVP. Pero lahat naman kami dito sa team deserving sa award. Lahat kami finals MVP,” 31-year-old forward said in an interview.
In the 105-82 clincher of a victory, the Texters put on a clinic– registering a league-conference high 34 assists, lighting up from downtown in the fourth quarter, and just systematically warding off the Elastopainters.
It was a display of brilliance that could describe how Talk N’ Text played the entire finals series.
De Ocampo’s contribution was unmistakable. A steady average of 18 points, eight rebounds and 3.5 assists in four games, playing for a squad who had pieces capable of going off any time in the offense.
The cunning forward was even in the running for the Best Player of the Conference plum, which ended up in the hands of teammate Jayson Castro.
“Hindi naman factor samin kung sino yung best player or MVP. Yung mga ganong award, extra lang samin yun. Ang importante sami yung manalo ng championship,” shared De Ocampo.
It has been Talk N’ Text’s sixth trip to the finals in the last seven conferences, but the organization never stop running out of reasons chase another hardware.
And having another entry in the history books within their reach was just enough motivation to keep the Texters even hungrier for a victory in the finals.
“Ito yung best team na nalaruan ko as a professional,” De Ocampo said. “Dati kasi sabi nila sa PBA, pera-pera lang, Sariling career lang ang iniisip. Pero dito (sa Talk N’ Text) lahat kami gusto manalo.”
