A meeting with the E-Painters highers up will decide Chris Tiu's future basketball plans. PBA Media Group |
By Ivan Saldajeno
QUEZON CITY--One thing is for sure: Chris Tiu put up a performance of a lifetime in the final game of his sixth Philippine Basketball Association season on Saturday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But on whether that would also be the final game of his prolific basketball career is still unknown for now.
Tiu is nearing the end of his current contract with Rain Or Shine, where he spent all of his six seasons in the league since becoming the seventh pick of the 2012 Draft.
The host of GMA's long-running science program I-Bilib has been considering an early retirement from the game due to his other commitments, especially in the business sectors, in which he co-owns three companies.
While he kept mum on whether he indeed will call it a career or not, the 33-year-old former national team skipper told reporters that it will all boil down to one crucial meeting.
"I'll talk to our bosses, Sirs Raymond [Yu] and Terry [Que], to see what they have in mind," Tiu said.
But based on his first 30-point blast ever, one may say that he still has a lot of gas left in his tank.
However, for him, he just wants to end the season on a high note.
"It's the last game of the season. Gusto ko, ibigay talaga ang lahat. I would like to end the season on a high note," Tiu further said. "Personally, I'm happy with my performance. Given that I have a lot of commitments, I did what I could to build up my team--to be in the best physical shape to lead the team."
The 30-point performance, which even surpassed his career-high in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, capped a career-high season for the point guard.
Tiu averaged 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and a little under four assists a game for the entire 2018 season. He had a 30-4-5 stat line with one steal and one block on Saturday night.
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