The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ 98-89 loss to the Meralco Bolts on the last Monday of 2025 was twice as painful. Not only did it end Rain or Shine’s PBA Philippine Cup campaign, but it also brought down the curtains on the career of the team’s longtime pillar, Gabe Norwood, who made his retirement official at the conclusion of that hard-fought game.
Immediately postgame, Norwood tipped his hat to Meralco before thanking the Rain or Shine family—from management, to teammates, to fans, and everyone else—for what he described as a “special situation.”
“I wasn’t planning on doing this [retiring after getting eliminated]. I was hoping it was after a championship, but hats off to Meralco first and foremost. They played a great series, and it’s proven why they’re one of the top teams in the league, so kudos to them,” Norwood said. “But for me personally, you know, just thank you to Rain or Shine. To play for one organization my whole career and only call one place home—it’s special to me. They took me in as a son back in 2008, and it’s been family the whole way through. It’s a special situation.”
Norwood Shines Light on Rain or Shine Blessing
Rain or Shine picked Norwood as the top overall pick in the 2008 PBA Draft, which also saw Jared Dillinger, Jayson Castro, Sol Mercado, and Norwood teammate Beau Belga get picked in the first round. Right away, player and team proved to be a perfect match, with Norwood giving the Elasto Painters an athletic, do-it-all wing who played hard, did all that was asked of him, and was good with whatever role he was given.
Four years later, Norwood helped the franchise win its first PBA championship in the 2012 PBA Governors’ Cup before adding another title in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Both times, Norwood was among the team’s pillars, doing most of his best work as the Elasto Painters’ defensive lynchpin and filling in the gaps everywhere else.
Rain or Shine hasn’t won a championship since then, but that did not matter to Norwood, who will leave the only franchise he has ever played for with nothing but special memories.
“It’s not transactional… It’s not like you just sign the dotted lines and it’s over. It’s family at Rain or Shine, and that’s what it’s been for me,” Norwood added. “Special moments every day. Being able to go to work happy, go home happy—how many jobs do you get to do that, right? How many jobs do you get to be happy every single day?”
It was a special situation all right, and Norwood is just thankful it happened.
“The Lord’s blessed me with almost 18 years, and I’m sure He’s not done blessing me after I’m done. So, just thank you to Bayan ng ROS, all the fans, [Rain or Shine owner] Boss Raymond [Yu], all the coaches, and teammates I’ve had over the years.”
Norwood concluded with a guarantee that Rain or Shine will keep its shine even without him in the lineup.
“You know, just because I step away, Rain or Shine is going to be fine in the future,” he concluded.
