From an outsider’s perspective, Stephen Holt has become a forgotten man. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering the talent within the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, but he’s been relatively quiet as Scottie Thompson remains the Gin Kings’ engine, Japeth Aguilar has discovered the fountain of youth, and RJ Abarrientos continues to carve out a niche within Ginebra. 

That was, until the last game of the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup. 

Holt was playing with a level of aggression many saw more often during his time with the Terrafirma Dyip. He was taking what the defense was giving him and his teammates were finding him in the right spots. It was clear that it was his night offensively and the Gin Kings needed that to secure the crucial twice-to-beat advantage. 

During his stints in the NBA G-League, Australia’s NBL, Spain’s Liga ACB, among others, Holt was one to play his role to a tee and that trait has made his transition to Ginebra seamless. But for the Gin Kings to end their current title drought, they will need the version of Holt that can take over, especially when there are mismatches to be found. 

Whatever Ginebra head coach Tim Cone has asked from Holt, he has done and done so quite well. Scoring, rebounding, defense, and passing are the obvious tasks, but the 33-year old has pretty much operated within the confines of Cone’s system rather than deviating. There are days where all Cone will need him to simply stand in the corner and wait for an opportunity for a wing or corner 3-pointer to come knocking. Some moments may require more variety in Holt’s shot diet and he may not just play more, but do more. 

The latter may be needed from him more as the Gin Kings begin their postseason run. An aging roster and some bouts of inconsistency have hounded Ginebra in their previous playoff runs and while Holt himself is approaching his mid-30s, his game is not one to drastically decline with age. The Portland, Oregon native has always been steady, and that stability has helped him avoid major injuries and the long road to recovery that some of his peers have had to endure in the last year or so. 

Stephen Holt has been perfectly fine operating under the radar, but he may need to come up to the surface as the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings inch closer to the knockout stages of the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup. He doesn’t need to post massive numbers, but when the going gets tough, he will need to be there to save the day.