It didn’t dampen his spirit one bit.
In what was supposed to be a battle between the two debuting young Filipino cagers, Carl Tamayo was reduced to a cheerleader.
The new Ryukyu Golden King rode the bench as his team essayed an 86-78 win over Kai Sotto’s Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B.League on Thursday.
Sotto, meanwhile, had a decent outing with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 blocks in almost 19 minutes of play.
Tamayo didn’t mind.
“I just came here. I understand coach Dai [Oketani]. You need to gain his trust to be able to play on the court,” said Tamayo in an interview posted on B.League’s official Instagram account.
It’s all part of the grand design.
The 6-foot-7 forward knows his time will come. In the meantime, he’s going to keep working hard.
“I’ll keep working hard. So I’ll be prepared any time coach Dai needs me. I’m just happy that we won the game,” he said.