As he put it, “I'd rather 'almost have it' than not get there.”
For the second time in the last decade, Reyes fell short of completing a season sweep for the TNT franchise as San Miguel Beer foiled the team with a 107-96 victory on Friday night to regain the PBA Philippine Cup championship.
The Beermen won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, and again proved to be the stumbling block in the Tropang 5G’s elusive dream of winning all three conferences in Season 49.
It was actually a case of history repeating itself as San Miguel also ruined TNT’s grand slam plan in 2011 behind a team also handled by Reyes when it won the season-ending Governors’ Cup in best-of-seven series that went the full route.
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The 61-year-old Reyes, the only six-time recipient of the Coach of the Year award, said there’s no regret on his part.
“Like I said when we started the series, I never coached for a grand slam,” he stressed. “Okay na sa akin yung muntik-muntikan, at least umabot ako run.”
“I’ll take that pain and I’ll take that regret anytime.”
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But with the TNT core expected to come back healthier by next season and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson coming back to reinforce the team, maybe TNT could aim for another shot at a grand slam.
Reyes would have none of those thoughts at the moment.
“We don’t think about it right now. Our thought is the next all-Filipino (conference),” he said before making his way out of the venue together with wife Cherry.
The league will open its 50th anniversary season in October with the Philippine Cup right away.