Chot fed up with Erram tantrums
Coach Chot Reyes admitted that his patience had run out on Poy Erram, who had another moment of madness in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
“I just got fed up with all the antics,” Reyes said after TNT’s 73-66 loss to Barangay Ginebra that put his team on the brink of defeat in their title series.
Erram’s latest meltdown came in the third quarter when things heated up between him and Reyes during a timeout and the Tropang Giga were leading 47-43.
Their exchange, caught on video and was aired during the game’s broadcast on RPTV and PBA Rush, saw Erram slamming his towel during the huddle, prompting Reyes to also lose his cool.
It didn’t help TNT’s cause that the scene was witnessed by 12,447 fans, most of which were Ginebra fans who had made it a habit to taunt Erram with “iyakin” (crybaby) chants.
Chua’s advice
“I let him have a piece of my mind,” Reyes said. “I told him if he can’t be told what he should do, then he should be the one coaching the team.”
The Ginebra bench apparently also witnessed the exchange, and after the game, San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua approached Erram as the two teams were heading back to their dressing rooms.
“I just told him to just stay calm, keep his concentration and play his game,” Chua told the Inquirer in reaction to the video that was posted on the Inquirer Sports’ social media pages.
Erram left the Big Dome with a towel draped over his head. How TNT deals with the aftermath is still being sorted out as of press time, but Reyes and team manager Jojo Lastimosa have described these incidents as ordinary with their camp.
In Game 2, Erram was seen kicking the team’s equipment as he was heading to the locker room to blow off some steam.
