For more than three years, a PBA championship eluded the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. During that span of time, the Gin Kings made three PBA Finals appearances but came away empty-handed to the TNT Tropang 5G. 

The PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals was the fourth time both teams squared off and history seemed to be in the Tropang 5G’s favor. In the end, though, it turned out fortune favored Scottie Thompson and Ginebra. 

Thompson himself was in the midst of his own dry spell, as he only scored a combined 13 points from Games 4 to 6 on subpar shooting percentages. Coincidentally, TNT won two of those three games and momentum was there for the Tropang 5G entering Game 7. However, the 2021 PBA MVP broke out of his slump at the right time. 

Doing a little bit of everything on the court has always been Thompson’s calling card and in Game 7, he demonstrated his ability to contribute in various ways across a couple of possessions. A 3-pointer here followed by a solid defensive stop a few possessions later and a clever cut a few moments later kept the Gin Kings within striking distance as Justin Brownlee found his rhythm. When Thompson is more involved (and not just when it comes to scoring), the ball movement is more crisp and the production is more balanced. That’s why it’s usually not enough to judge Thomposon based on the box score, because he is one of Ginebra’s most important players because of how he fits Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone’s system. 

Ball movement is critical to Cone’s triangle system and Thompson has the ability to play within the system and make adjustments on the fly without totally disrupting Ginebra’s flow. It’s an unteachable quality, one that is built over time and experience. The 32-year old was once the promising young gun tasked to bring many championships to the PBA’s most popular franchise, but now he is the seasoned vet trying not just to sustain the winning culture, but also in handing off the reins to the next generation of Gin Kings. 

Even with a championship secured, there is no rest for the likes of Thompson. Thompson was officially named to the Gilas Pilipinas roster set to compete in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, which will run until July 6. That would give Thompson a few days before he resumes duties with Ginebra for the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, a brutal stretch that could see him taking some days off. 

But as a recently crowned champion and Finals MVP, the grind is worth it for Scottie Thompson, especially with another championship in sight.