The confetti was still clinging to the rafters of the Araneta Coliseum. The championship hats were firmly planted. The San Miguel Beermen had just dispatched the TNT Tropang Giga in Game 6 to claim the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup, capping off a drama-filled series that felt less like basketball and more like a WWE storyline.
And just as the final act was playing out, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Sports Director Alfrancis Chua stepped onto the stage for his moment at the microphone. What followed was less a traditional victory speech and more a perfectly timed, well-placed, and utterly delightful parting shot aimed squarely at TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa.
"SMB, pwede na tayong mag-celebrate. Apat na eh," Chua declared, flashing four fingers to a roaring crowd, the literal embodiment of "read the room" but with a championship trophy in hand.
The context here is crucial. This wasn't just playful banter. This was the culmination of days of simmering tension, a calculated jab in a series that had become personal. Just days earlier, after San Miguel took a commanding 3-1 lead in Game 4, Lastimosa had publicly ripped into Beermen players Chris Ross and Jericho Cruz. He accused them of "acting like champions" prematurely, of being "arrogant" and "nambabastos" (disrespectful). His exact words, searingly delivered post-Game 4: "’Yung mga tiga-San Miguel na parang nag-champion na sila. They were arrogant. Nambabastos sila. Parang nag-champion na sila. Maghintay muna sila manalo ng four games before they start celebrating.”
TNT, credit where credit is due, did manage to delay the inevitable, snatching Game 5 and forcing the series back to a sixth contest. But San Miguel, fueled by the criticism (and perhaps the sheer talent of June Mar Fajardo), slammed the door shut in Game 6, securing their 30th PBA championship.
And that's where Chua's words landed with surgical precision. It wasn't about the number of championships overall (though 30 is certainly a flex). It was about the "apat na" (four) – the four wins necessary to clinch the series. It was a direct, irrefutable response to Lastimosa's challenge to "wait until they win four games."
This is vintage Alfrancis Chua. He’s not just a sports director; he’s a master showman, a savvy operator who understands the psychological warfare that permeates professional sports. He allowed the on-court action to speak loudest in Game 6, but then, in the spotlight, he delivered the mic drop. It wasn't a rant; it was a concise, powerful retort that resonated instantly with the crowd and perfectly capped off an intense and drama-filled Finals.
In a league that thrives on narratives and rivalries, this was the perfect end to a compelling chapter. Lastimosa threw the first stone with his accusations of premature celebration. Chua, with the trophy in hand, simply confirmed: the celebration is now officially sanctioned. And in the PBA, sometimes, the final word off the court is just as memorable as the final buzzer on it.
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