It is a move not as common as rain. But seemingly, it is justified.
“He just doesn’t care,” said TNT manager Jojo Lastimosa of Mikey Williams. “He’s getting paid a lot of money and he’s not being a good teammate.”
Harsh words? Justified. You got the money you asked for. You behave. You act accordingly.
But no. Williams comes in late for practice. Williams skips practices. Williams goes AWOL (Absent With Out Leave).
He is one of TNT’s top scorers. One of the team’s best. He starred in TNT’s recent championship feat. He is blue chip, no doubt.
But basketball being a team game, Mikey Williams should knock it in his head that he has teammates to contend with. A team to love—unconditionally.
“He is just one of the total parts of the team,” said Lastimosa. “There’s no sacred cow in our team.”
The star guard with double-digit dimensions across his name was in the freezer when TNT absorbed a 91-88 loss to Phoenix in Sunday’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The win gave the Fuel Masters a crucial 5-3, win-loss card to stay close behind leaders Bay Area Dragons of Hong Kong (6-1) and the Magnolia Hotshots (5-1) while the moping Tropang Giga went down deeper in the standings.
“We decided to suspend him (Williams) for a week because it’s become multiple infractions already,” Lastimosa said. “He won’t even apologize to his teammates. That’s your first responsibility…to be a good teammate.”
The one-week suspension also included suspending his salaries.
I remember Mikey Williams being sort of a holdout when he made himself scarce to TNT while his contract was being reviewed.
One can be a good player and be an asset to a team. But if he turns out to be a jerk in the end, he’d just end up as a suicidal TNT albatross. One that will drag his teammates down to hellhole.
I hate seeing Mikey Williams head to wasteland. But he must reform his ways. Quick. He’s a talent worth keeping.
THAT’S IT The Los Angeles Lakers have finally snapped out of a losing streak in a horrific 0-5 start, beating Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets last Monday behind LeBron James (26 points), Anthony Davis (23) and Russell Westbrook (18). … Happy birthday to balikbayan Jun Magturo from Los Angeles, CA.