Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star Scottie Thompson in action against the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup. Photo from PBA Images.MANILA — Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has been showing signs of progress with its retooled roster in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.

After versatile big Troy Rosario joined the Barangay’s party before the conference, the Gin Kings have gotten off to a decent start, winning three of their first five games, a promising development for a squad that is coming off a Finals heartbreak just a little over a month ago.

READ: TNT denies Ginebra anew, retains Governors Cup crown

But for the Tim Cone-mentored team to continue to make strides, Ginebra star Scottie Thompson emphasized that health is the most crucial part of their campaign if they want to succeed in reaching their full potential in the Com’s Cup.

“Grateful ako every time na healthy ako during our conferences,” Thompson, who previously dealt with a back issue earlier in 2024 — an injury that he has a history with ever since his collegiate days with University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the NCAA — shared with ABS-CBN News.

The 6-foot-1, one-time PBA MVP even previously missed Gilas Pilipinas’ stint in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia last July due to the said setback, which is why his biggest wish for this year’s Christmas is to remain injury-free.

READ: Health a premium for Scottie Thompson as they battle TNT

“Christmas wish ko? Yun pa rin, maging healthy lang palagi,” insisted Thompson. “It’s one of my blessings talaga, na maging healthy lang palagi. Yun pa lang, blessing na yun para sa akin.”

The Digos native, who is now a father of two with his wife Jinky Thompson, also hoped that this wish of his would extend to his family.

“Wish ko rin maging healthy especially yung family ko,” he said.

Asked further if he hopes to get more gifts in the form of individual accolades, Scottie quickly answered that the only success he is looking for is the one that is beneficial for Ginebra as a team as well as their legion of diehard fans.  

“Darating na lang yun kung mayroon man,” said Thompson, when asked about MVPs and other plums. “The most important thing to get right now is yung momentum namin this conference. Sana maging ready kami for the playoffs especially with the new guys like Troy. So sana, pagdating na ng playoffs, mas smooth na yung system namin.”

“Sana rin maging maganda pa yung the rest season namin,” he ended.

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