By REYNALD MAGALLON
Rain or Shine veteran Gabe Norwood has announced that the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup would be his swan song.
In a video posted by the ROS Elasto Painters on their official Facebook account, Norwood briefly looked back at his basketball career before disclosing his plans of playing out one final conference before calling it quits.
“Basketball has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. From playing Division I basketball with George Mason University, to proudly wearing the Pilipinas jersey with Gilas, and to finding a home with Rain or Shine in the PBA, the journey has been nothing short of incredible. I poured everything I had into this game, and in return it has given me more than I could ever ask for,” said the 40-year-old forward.
“The unforgettable moments on the court, the battles won and lost, the lifelong friendships, the love of the fans, and above all a family. That’s why today I want to share with you all that this upcoming Philippine Cup will be my last. One last conference, one last run, one last flight,” he added.
Norwood, with the help of Bernard Yang, first came to the Philippines straight from college to join the Hapee Toothpaste in the PBL where he was named to the league Mythical First team in 2007.
He was PBL’s No. 1 pick and also played for Mikee Romero-backed PH team to the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima SEA Games in Thailand.
The Rain or Shine all-lifer entered the league in 2008 as the top overall pick of the Elasto Painters and has since then enjoyed a colorful career that saw him win two PBA championships with the independent franchise.
In between his years in the PBA where he became a Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and part of seven PBA All-Defensive teams, Norwood also became a crucial part of the Gilas Pilipinas under head coaches Chot Reyes and Tab Baldwin.
Norwood was the Gilas designated defender to the opposing team’s best player but was best remembered for his two emphatic dunks – one against then NBA star Luis Scola during Gilas run in the 2014 World Cup.
Norwood was supposed to retire last conference but due to his respect and admiration to team owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que, he extended his contract to another conference in his desire to help the team’s title bid.
