AFTER Chot Reyes, Marc Pingris is also returning to Gilas Pilipinas– as an assistant coach.
The retired PBA great is set to join Reyes’ brain thrust that includes Jong Uichico, Josh Reyes, and former New Zealand strategist Nenad Vucinic for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers behind closed doors at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Reyes said his wards’ mantra is to be the hardest working and best conditioned five.
“Our mantra always is to be the hardest working, best conditioned team. We should be the hardest working, best conditioned team,” Reyes said.
“Not a collection of individuals but a team, a team that plays together. I think if we can do that, then the winning will follow.”
The energetic big man known as “Pinoy Sakuragi” during his playing years with FedEx, San Miguel, and Magnolia certainly knows a thing or two about hard work.
Pingris, 40, was a mainstay of Gilas squads in the past and typified the team’s “Puso” battle cry.
He played a big role for Gilas in the 2013 FIBA Asia Cup, the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup, and the 2016 Olympic qualifying tournament.
