Stung Rey takes TNT defeat as motivation
In a lot of PBA circles, Rey Nambatac is also known as “Sting Rey.” For now, the TNT gunner will have to deal with getting stung.
He was supposed to be a huge difference-maker. After missing last season’s Philippine Cup, where San Miguel Beer dominated TNT for the title, due to a groin injury, Nambatac was supposed to be the key for the Tropang 5G to get payback.
The Beermen, however, refused to let that happen and defended their crown in six games, closing out their foes with a 92-77 victory last Sunday.
“There was added pressure, but that’s how basketball is. That pressure’s a given,” Nambatac told the Inquirer.
“For me, as a player and a pro, I’ll just use this as motivation. I’m pressured in a way that I love what I’m doing. I’m still blessed to be here.”
Nambatac also had to fill the void left by Roger Pogoy, who sat out the latter part of the Finals with a pulled hamstring.
What hurt most was how the Letran product seemingly cracked under pressure, producing just two points in Game 6.
But he has put things in perspective.
“I was still given a chance to play basketball here in the PBA, the best league in the Philippines,” he said. “[The loss hurts] but, well, this has been my dream since I was a kid.”
