By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA
MANILA — Caloy Garcia said Rain or Shine was saddened by the decision of Chris Tiu to retire from professional basketball at the age of 33.
“Of course, we’re sad about it,” the Elasto Painters’ head coach said on Thursday during the first Philippine Basketball Association Media Day at the Solaire Tent in Parañaque City.
On what they will miss from Tiu, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, Garcia replied, “Yung leadership nya (His leadership). It’s the hardest quality to find. That’s what he really brought to the table.”
He, however, bared that Tiu actually thought about deferring early retirement after his 30-point explosion in his swan song.
“Chris already told me before his last game that he plans to retire, but after the way we played, we tried to convince him to stay. Medyo na-convince pa namin yun eh (We convinced him a little),” Garcia relayed how he and the rest of the team management wooed Tiu to play another year.
But in the end, Tiu’s family and business commitments mattered in his huge decision.
“He has a family to think about. He has his business. At the end of the day, we have to look for other players to replace him. It’s gonna be difficult, but at the same time, we’re happy for him,” Garcia added.
