Meralco guard Chris Newsome held Rain or Shine veteran Gabe Norwood’s hands while exchanging a few words after the final buzzer of the do-or-die quarterfinals match of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup.

It wasn’t just the usual post-game pleasantries between two gentlemen showing sportsmanship.

For the Bolts star, he just took the time to express his appreciation and admiration for the man who played his last game for the Elasto Painters after 17 years of loyal service to the only franchise he suited for.

“Yeah, I just told Gabe, I just wanted him to know personally how much he influenced my life and my career,” said Newsome after Meralco booted out twice-to-beat Rain or Shine, 98-89, on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to set-up a best-of-seven semifinals showdown against TNT.

“And I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at today without him. Because he’s shown me a lot, he’s taught me a lot, and I wanted to make sure that he knew that personally, man-to-man, face-to-face.”

Newsome shared that he has always looked up to the 40-year-old Filipino-American. In fact, pundits saw many similarities between Newsome and Norwood, who was the top overall pick in 2008.

The explosiveness he has shown back during his days with Ateneo de Manila University reminded fans of a young Norwood.

“When I first got here back in 2010, 2011, a lot of people actually already compared my game and my personality to Gabe Norwood,” said the 2015 fourth overall pick.

“That was the one person that they said that I remind them of. And so I took that to heart, and over the years, I got to know Gabe both on and off the court, and he’s as professional as they come,” he added.

“And that’s what I want to be known as: a true professional. Someone who shows up to work on time, has a good attitude, that you actually care about the people you work with. And he brought that everywhere he went.”

Newsome also admired the dedication and heart Norwood poured into the national team in the past, with him also being a part of the current Gilas Pilipinas squad.

The two-time PBA champion won a gold medal in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games, a Jones Cup title in 2012, silver medals in the 2013 and 2015 FIBA Asia Cup and a stint in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

“He was able to impact a whole Gilas team and influence a whole Gilas team and lead. I think that’s some characteristics that you really got to give him credit for. He is a true leader, and that’s only something that I wish I could be. And I hope that I can reach the level of achievements that he has in his career,” Newsome said.

Norwood left his illustrious PBA career with a full heart.  

“I know he’s a big family man, and so I’m happy that he actually gets that time with his family to actually just really help them grow and watch his boys and his family mature. That’s something that I know he’s been looking forward to for a long time,” Newsome added.

“Sorry it had to come from us, but Gabe, we’ll talk about this down the line someday. Invite me on the podcast and we can talk about that.”

Newsome and Meralco open their attempt to reach the finals for the first time since winning it all in the 2024 edition of the all-Filipino conference on Sunday at the same Cubao venue.