A man wearing a face mask joins Chot Reyes on a basketball court.

Chot Reyes takes over Gilas Pilipinas

Not long after making a return to professional basketball by being the head coach of the TNT Tropang Giga, Chot Reyes is now returning as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team.

The surprising development was announced late Monday night in a statement by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Reyes was appointed as the new head coach after Tab Baldwin stepped down from his position as head coach and program director. The American-Kiwi coach explained that the overlap in the schedules between the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and the preparations for the upcoming UAAP season—as he coaches the reigning champions Ateneo Blue Eagles—led him to resign.

Tab Baldwin / FIBA

In turn, he recommended Reyes to be his successor.

“Chot is the sensible choice to take over Gilas coaching because he is very familiar with the program,” said Manny V. Pangilinan, Chairman Emeritus of the SBP. “He also has solid experience in international competition and FIBA games.”

“The man behind the ‘PUSO’ team who broke the infamous ‘Korean Curse’ is expected to once again bring Philippine basketball to the next level,” added Pangilinan.

SBP president Al Panlilio echoed Pangilinan’s sentiments, saying, “Considering the high-level performance expected of Gilas, we decided to go with the coach who brought the country back to the FIBA World Cup in 2014.”

Reyes was the head coach of the Gilas squad that made it all the way to the 2014 FIBA World Cup. After a brief break, he returned to coach the team in the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. However, he stepped down from his post in the aftermath of the infamous brawl between the Gilas and the Australia Boomers at the Philippine Arena.

He eventually returned to coach TNT in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), eventually leading the Tropang Giga to the 2021 Philippine Cup trophy.

“It will be an honor to serve the country again,” said Reyes. “It is a big challenge pero hindi ko matatalikuran ang tawag ng bayan.”

Fans won’t have to wait long to see Reyes stalking the sidelines for Gilas as he coaches the team in the first window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on February 24-28. The Philippines has a tough assignment as they face long-time rivals South Korea twice, India, and then, New Zealand.

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