Blackwater head coach Bong Ramos' emotions got the best of him in the aftermath of a 104-98 win over TNT KaTropa on Friday in the PBA Governors' Cup.
Minutes into the post-game interview at the Mall of Asia Arena press room, Ramos couldn't help but break into tears.
"Sorry, I'm really emotional," he told reporters while wiping his tears. "This is tears of joy. I'm happy the Lord blessed us today."
The win meant the world to Ramos. And it's easy to understand why.
Coming off a 1-10 finish in the Commissioner's Cup, Blackwater skipped a long vacation and went to work right away. The Elite flew to Indonesia and Macau to join tournaments that would develop team chemistry.
When they returned home, they took a one-week break before hitting the ground running anew. The hard work seemed to pay off.
"We had a long losing streak last conference. Who wouldn't cry with this win," said Ramos, who replaced long time Blackwater coach Leo Isaac last conference.
Allein Maliksi, who led the Elite with personal season-high 28 points, could tell the team has indeed fostered camaraderie.
As a result, Blackwater reached a milestone. Blackwater was 0-11 against TNT until this victory. Before the game, TNT was the only team the Elite had not beaten since entering the league in 2014.
"Chemistry is a big factor in this win," the former University of Santo Tomas cager said.
"Because of the two leagues that we joined, we have improved our decision making and confidence. That translated here in the first game. I hope we continue to play like this in the coming games," said Ramos.
That's why he is thankful for his players, who sacrificed a huge chunk of their time to be on the same page with everyone else on the team.
"I want to thank the players. They sacrificed a lot," he said.