Jayson Castro wins third PBA Finals MVP for TNT at 38

TNT Tropang Giga Jayson Castro is the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals MVP. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—In TNT’s successful pursuit of a second-straight PBA Governors’ Cup championship, veteran guard Jayson Castro rose to the occasion.

Castro, playing at the age of 38, showed age couldn’t slow him down as he won the Honda-PBA Press Corps Finals MVP to push the Tropang Giga to another title after six games.

Coach Chot Reyes though, wasn’t too surprised.

READ: TNT repeats over Ginebra to retain its PBA Governors’ Cup crown

“He’s very low-key but he can be relied on to make the right decisions,” said Reyes in Filipino following their title-clinching 95-85 win over Ginebra at Araneta Coliseum on Friday night.

“He will be the first to tell you that he wouldn’t have gotten it without the help and effort of his team.”

For the six-game series, Castro averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game to win his third Finals MVP plum.

READ: PBA Finals: ‘Fresh’ Jayson Castro provides the goods for TNT

It was the first time, though, that Castro received the award by himself after sharing it with Jimmy Alapag in the 2011 Philippine Cup and 2011 Commissioner’s Cup.

On Friday’s win, Castro proved to be the important piece of the Tropang Giga’s title puzzle as he finished with 13 points, six assists and two rebounds in 27 minutes of action.

“If you take a look at the makeup of our team you can see how important the role of Jayson is,” emphasized Reyes.

“I guess winning that Finals MVP is just another feather on his cap.”