After an 11 year absence from the national team, Kelly Williams made his Gilas return on Friday when the Philippines took on India in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
It was a special moment not just for him but also Chot Reyes — the man who recruited him back in 2007 to join the Philippine Men’s National Basketball Team in 2007.
“Yeah it was special to see him on the floor.
“I mean, even way back when I went to Detroit, I went down to Detroit because there was this skinny kid who could jump out of the gym and he had Filipino roots, and I was preparing for my very first national teams in 2007,” he recalled after Gilas’ 88-64 win over India. “Back then, I needed a couple of guys with size who could play wings and we were looking at Kelly for that so you can imagine.
“So when I asked him about this, there was absolutely no hesitation on Kelly’s part and whatever it takes, if we needed him to just be a practice player to play a couple of minutes, to play heavy minutes, to play four games in five days after playing four games in seven days in the PBA,” he continued.
“He said that he was ready and that’s because I really brought Kelly over to play for the national team. I mean, his career in the PBA as a pro was just kind of a progression or a byproduct of that but the main reason why we brought Kelly was really to play for the national team. So he’s just staying true to that calling, even now at his young age.”
At age 40, the feeling never gets old for Williams.
Despite having seven PBA championships, Most Valuable Player and Best Player of the Conference plums, and two Comeback Player of the Year honors, representing the country is something that Williams takes the most pride in.
“You know one of the things that I’ve stressed over and over again when talking about being part of this group for Gilas is just the amount of pride I take and representing the country and from the first time I ever wore the jersey up until now the feeling has been the same — the same amount of pride, the same amount of honor and gratefulness to be chosen, and to be part of it and even the same amount of sense of urgency to want to make the fans and Filipinos around the world and the Philippines proud and to represent correctly,” he said.
“It’s been the same for me, the same feelings which is crazy given all these years now that I’ve played for the national team.”
During the pre-game of the contest, Williams admitted to choking up in the middle of singing Lupang Hinirang.
All the memories came back to him.
From the Asian Championships in Tokushima and Wuhan, to the Jones Cup games, and, even the time he tore his anterior cruciate ligament back in 2015, he remembered it all during that single moment.
“I found myself yesterday singing along and about midway through getting choked up just thinking about just the opportunity and kind of reflection on everything I’ve been through about injuries too, even the retirement,” he disclosed. “And to be here now regardless why I was here, why I was chosen, why I was up here or there was because of Chot. Obviously, I have a great amount of gratitude towards Chot for having trust in me at this stage. In my career, being 40 years old to be chosen when he definitely could’ve found someone else to fill this slot, he still chose me.
“Chot reflected on that in him being the one that handpicked me out of Detroit when I was really one foot out of the door when it came to basketball at that time for us to come we’ve come full circle a few times in our careers you know for this stage you know that’s more special.”
When Reyes was given Gilas again back on January 31, one of the first players he talked to was Williams.
As they were having their morning coffee at Mount Malarayat Golf & Country Club in Lipa, Reyes asked Williams for help. Of course, he did not have second thoughts, immediately saying yes.
Just like in 2007 but this time around, he is no longer the skinny, wide-eyed kid but a grizzled, old sage.
“I said, ‘Coach, there’s no way I’m thinking about this. There’s no way of saying no. If I was on one leg and he asked me I’ll find a way to be effective with one leg that’s just how much of an honor it is to me.’”
Against India, Williams showed that he still got it.
In 15 minutes of play, the 6-foot-6 athletic big man tallied four points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Again, he will suit up for Gilas on Sunday when they take on New Zealand to close out the window.
And Williams knows that this might be the last time he sees action in the national team.
By the end of that game on Sunday, he hopes that he was able to help the young Gilas players grow heading into 2023.
“I know it’s just for this window and I’m kind of disappointed that career didn’t show because I would love to play again,” he lamented. “I’m just taking every moment in these two games, every practice — even you know just the experience here being around the guys and taking every moment and just really trying to be present and just enjoy it and appreciate it and just be grateful for it.
“Just being able to say I was a part of that team — because this is a great group of young guys with great talent with great attitude and character — I’m just grateful to say that I’m I was a part a bit small part of that build in in the beginning parts of it.”
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All Group A games of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers will stream live on GigaPlay. Download it now on Android or IOS.
The second game of each playdate is also livestreamed on SMART Sports.
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