SAN Miguel Beer veteran Chris Ross himself admits he owes a lot to Meralco, the franchise that gave him his major break in the PBA after a not-so-ideal early years.
But business being business, he's setting that aside come the Philippine Cup finals versus the Bolts.
"I actually played in Meralco's first game in the PBA so it's kind of a full-circle moment for me," said Ross during Monday's pre-finals presscon presented by Bingo Plus.
He recalled playing alongside then rookie Cliff Hodge and Reynel Hugnatan, who are still with the current Meralco group as player and assistant coach, respectively.
"It's kind of a proud moment for me that they're able to reach this stage," He said.
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Ross had a rather forgettable start in the pro league with the Coca Cola Tigers then Sta. Lucia Realty. But he started to blossom under Meralco, the team that took over the Realtors' franchise in 2010. Later on, he found a home at dynastic SMB.
"It's cool for me to play their first game in the PBA then I'll play against them in their first game in the Philippine Cup finals," he said.
"It's an odd feeling. I feel like Meralco, they gave me a chance to show I can play in the PBA. My rookie year was kind of down then I got traded to Sta. Lucia and Meralco. They kind of got me the basketball and do my thing.
"I'm happy where I am now. And I'm ready to compete against them," he added. (OL)
