Should Coach Chot resign? The mass questions as the FIBA World Cup 2023 games came to an end.

With only a 6-point difference, Gilas faces defeat against Dominican Republic at the opening of the FIBA World Cup 2023 on the court of Philippine Arena, 87-81. This game was also the second time that we saw NBA Utah Jazz player Jordan Clarkson wear the blue and white colors of the Philippine National team, Gilas Pilipinas.

In the second game of the team, Gilas had a 10-point difference against Angola with scores at 80-70 and with Gilas claiming the latter. They had a heartbreaking defeat and are now at the bottom of the Group-A standings with a 0-2 slate.

The team only had one chance left to continue their journey towards the World Cup with a game against Italy. A score of 90-83, a 13-point difference hindered the team’s win causing them to lose their chances at bringing home the cup. 

Followed by a defeat against South Sudan in one of two classification games. And finally, at the last moment, Gilas managed to secure 1 win against China throughout the duration of the FIBA World Cup 2023. That first and last win was the last ticket for Gilas to get into the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

A big part of the blame for the team’s downfall is on Coach Chot Reyes. Although Reyes had made a remarkable mark on our country’s basketball history when he led the team to place silver in the 2013 FIBA Asian Games, fans say that his plays led the team to recurring losses, and his era as the national team’s coach has reached its end. They also can’t help but say that Chot made some bad decisions during the Fiba games and one of those is some of the players that he chose for the lineup. 

In the end, Reyes did leave his spot as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas, yet he said that he would return as the head coach of TNT Tropang Giga with no definite date of return yet. He gave the position to Coach Jojo Lastimosa when he decided to coach Gilas full-time last January 2023, and he now plans to reclaim that position. Some fans think that he should retire entirely and leave the position to Lastimosa who is not only the current head coach, but also the team’s manager. 

Jolas stated in an interview that he can be a manager and a coach at the same time. He has done an excellent job in managing the team by signing great players onto the team and proving his statement, but for now, he has to step down from the coaching position and give it to Reyes. This receives mixed reactions from Filipino basketball fans and enthusiasts.