Add Macau Black Knights guard Damian Chong Qui to the list of players embroiled in controversy in this PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The diminutive guard, one of Macau’s top players, inexplicably left the team after getting subbed out at the tail end of the third quarter in the Black Knights’ loss to the Terrafirma Dyip on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
And, no, Chong Qui didn’t just retreat to the dugout. He actually left the building.
Coach Is Clueless Why Chong Qui Left
For Macau coach Marcus Elliott, who’s a former player himself, Chong Qui’s walkout was certainly a first—and he has no idea why the shifty lefty did it in the first place.
“If he felt like that’s what he needed to do, then, I respect it. But other than that, I mean… I don’t think I’ve seen that happen before,” he told reporters after the Terrafirma-Macau outing. “I don’t know. I looked up and saw he was a little upset. I’m not sure what that was about.”
While acknowledging he isn’t privy to Chong Qui’s thought process that led to the walkout, Elliott maintained there was no conflict whatsoever that may have prompted his prized point guard to leave the Black Knights hanging in what was at that point still a winnable game.
Take Your Losses Like a Man
Later on, Elliott had a rather ominous message regarding the Black Knights’ lackluster campaign in this PBA Commissioner’s Cup: man up even with all the losing.
“Losses are gonna happen. If we’re winning every game, or we’re about to make the playoffs, everybody’s mood is a little different,” said Elliott, who also acknowledged what he observed as Macau’s lack of energy against Terrafirma. “The thing about losing is you gotta take your losses like a man. You gotta take your wins gracefully, and take your losses gracefully.”
On Saturday, though, Damian Chong Qui didn’t show any grace at all in walking out on his team.
