Chot Reyes has carefully conditioned his mind to focus only on the present, which is Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals between TNT and San Miguel.
A Grand Slam is far from TNT coach Chot Reyes’ mind.
Reyes sang the same refrain he did all conference long during the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals press conference Friday, July 11.
“Believe it or not, hindi ko talaga iniisip ang Grand Slam. Even up to now, when I come to coach, I coach what’s in front of me,” Reyes said.
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Though the team is on the verge of pulling off the same feat, which only four teams in league history were able to achieve, Reyes makes sure the banged-up Tropang 5G will keep their focus only on the game at hand.
“Even in our team discussions, we really never talk about winning the championship. We talk about being the hardest-working, best-conditioned team,” Reyes said.
“If we do that, then the winning will follow. So 'yon ang approach ko.”
When asked about facing the same team, San Miguel (then Petron), which has previously denied the TNT franchise the rare hat-trick in the 2010-11 season, Reyes had a similar response.
“Hindi ko talaga iniisip. So to answer your question, 2011 is really ancient history for me. It’s not even in my consciousness,” Reyes said.
“This Finals is going to be nice to win on its merits, not because of any past experience.”
[RELATED STORY: Dueling flagships: TNT stakes PBA Grand Slam hopes vs San Miguel in Philippine Cup Finals]
How does he condition himself and his players to think that way?
“It’s about the discipline of thinking. It’s just about preparing yourself mentally to make sure you’re not allowing your mind to wander,” Reyes said.
“That’s completely within my control. It’s about reinforcing the things I do and to remind the players as well to always have that short vision, what’s in front.”
It's all about mental training as to their short- and long-term plans.
“Obviously, at the start, we plan, we have long-range and short-term plans. Part of mental training is having short visions. If I expect that from my players, I should lead by example," he said.
What’s in front of Reyes and company now is the last team which came close to winning the Grand Slam twice in a dominant decade littered with 10 championships.
“It will be a lot more difficult. SMB has owned the Philippine Cup in the last 10 years, with eight finals in the last 10 Philippine Cups,” said Reyes.
Reyes and TNT now brace for war against San Miguel, led by eight-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, in Game 1 of the Finals Sunday, July 13.
Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.