In case Gilas Pilipinas needs a shooter, whether in a regional meet or for something grander like FIBA competitions, Tim Cone and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) might want to give newly minted Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) gold medalist Matthew Wright a call. If they do, the sweet-shooting guard would be more than glad to wear that “Pilipinas” across his chest again… and again… and again.
“Every time the country calls me, I’m gonna play no matter what,” said Wright in an interview with the Philippine Olympic Committee after Gilas Pilipinas defeated Thailand in the gold-medal match on Friday night.
Norman Black Calls Up Matthew Wright
Wright, of course, was among the first players Gilas coach Norman Black called back in September to come in and help the Philippines reassert its regional supremacy. Fortunately for the Philippines, the Thai organizing committee didn’t bar the 34-year-old Fil-Canadian the way it did Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame by changing the eligibility criteria for SEA Games hoops participation.
“I’m just happy that Coach Norman chose me,” Wright admitted. “We’ve been talking about this since September, so we’ve been planning this since September, and we were only able to practice this December.”
It turns out that little practice time was enough for Gilas to still win SEA Games gold, with Wright among the key contributors in what was an all-out team effort from the first game to the last.
Wright Admits Initial Difficulties Adjusting
Matthew Wright scored in double figures in two of Gilas’ last three games—14 against Vietnam and 14 against Thailand for SEA Games gold. But even as he at times looked like that sniper who was scoring in bunches for the Phoenix Fuel Masters, Wright admitted it was a struggle to get back into a rhythm—especially after being out of commission for more than six months.
“Guys like Thirdy [Ravena] and I, we haven’t played basketball for like seven or eight months. And then only having two weeks of preparation, that was tough on us. It took me a while to get my legs in this tournament, but I was able to find it in the Saigon [Vietnam] game, and I was able to carry it on,” added Wright, who considers this gold medal “the best one of all the other SEA Games I’ve been a part of.”
For all the adversity this Gilas Pilipinas team faced from conception to gold completion, maybe Matthew Wright is right. This gold really is special. And it might not be his last for Gilas.
