MANILA – Despite not winning it all in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup, Chris McCullough said he still feels accomplished in his return.
The TNT Tropang 5G import admitted he wanted to add another PBA championship to his collection, but he was happy he was able to put up a good fight against Barangay Ginebra and his counterpart, Justin Brownlee.
"Congrats to the other team for winning. But I didn't fail. I feel like I played my heart out," McCullough told reporters on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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"Like I said before we started the series, it's gonna be one of them series. This series, even though I lost, it's going to forever be talked about," he added.
The TNT reinforcement did it all for the Tropang 5G in Game 7, producing 28 points, 22 rebounds and three assists.
In the pivotal Game 6, it was a historic night as it was the first time in 37 years when both imports scored over 50 points against each other.
Brownlee scored 52 markers, while McCullough had scored a career-high 53 points to force the winner-take-all match in the series.
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Even if he didn't get the ending he wanted, McCullough believes he still achieved his goal in his return to the Philippines for the first time since leading the San Miguel Beermen to the 2019 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
"I wasn't trying to prove anything. I just wanted to show everybody I can still play at a high level on the court. That's it," he said.
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McCullough, who joined TNT in the semifinals following the injury of Bol Bol, thanked the Tropang 5G for welcoming him.
"They welcomed me with open arms. It was a brotherhood from the moment I got here. We didn't win it today but it was a good fight," he said.
"You know, I mean, hopefully I'll be back sooner or later," McCullough added.