MANILA – Strong Group-Philippines criticized controversial guard Mikey Williams for not fulfilling his commitment to play for the team in the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship from January 19 to 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Team manager Jacob Lao expressed disappointment that the former TNT Tropang Giga guard did not show up despite the Strong Group-Philippines accommodating all his demands and requests.
“This is the first time we have a player who doesn’t have a word of honor. Now, I understand the management of the team he played before,” Lao said in a statement on Wednesday night.
“We really don’t know what happened (why he suddenly backed out). Everything was already in place; we agreed to almost everything he wanted like a specified price and a particular timeframe for his arrival,” he added.
“He just didn’t show up in our practice when everybody was expecting him to be, including these former NBA stars and starters,” Lao further said. “Now, he is not even answering our call. We have no choice but to look for other options.”
With Williams out, the Strong Group-Philippines will now rely on other sharpshooters like Francis Escandor, JD Cagulangan, Winston Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Jordan Heading.
Lao’s statement came after Strong Group-Philippines head coach Charles Tiu mentioned in an interview that they abandoned the plan to include Williams as he has not yet obtained clearance from the Tropang Giga.
“We’ve been waiting for his answer; he said he’s still trying to get some clearance, so I think it’s best that we decide to play it safe, make sure he doesn’t get in trouble. After all, his PBA is more important, so we’ve decided to move on,” Tiu said.
Tiu added that Williams could have assisted the Strong Group-Philippines on offense as they aim to bounce back from their quarterfinals exit in the same tournament last year.
“Williams was my number one choice to be the point guard for this team, but it is what it is. We’ll find ways to win without him,” Tiu said. “He would’ve been a great addition to our team.”/PN
