Mikey Williams waited a little longer to make his comeback in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on Wednesday night.
The controversial guard had to sit on Converge’s bench in the first three quarters before finally seeing time on the floor in a dramatic return to the league following a three-year hiatus.
Although scoreless in 12 minutes of playing time, the two-time Finals Most Valuable Player gave a glimpse of what he can bring to the table for the FiberXers.
In fact, two of Williams’ three assists keyed in Converge’s decisive fourth quarter run to bring down guest team Macau Black Knights, 102-94, for a rousing start in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The 34-year-old two-time PBA champion had to wait for a letter of clearance from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) for the greenlight to play.
Despite the delay, Williams was just happy to finally play once again on local soil.
“It was a rollercoaster. Some things that we couldn’t control kind of faltered me from playing the first three quarters to help the team,” said Williams, who added two rebounds and a steal although he missed all four of his field goal attempts.
“I’m glad it finally got cleared up in the fourth quarter and they gave me the go-ahead to play.”
Williams last played in the 2023 Governors’ Cup before a falling out with TNT due to a contract row. His signing rights was traded by the reigning champions Tropang 5G to Converge in June last year for Jordan Heading.
“I wasn’t cleared by the league to play for the first three quarters. That’s something I can’t control. My team, the owners, and management did all they could to get it figured out the best they could. I just thank them for that. I’m just glad we pulled out a win in the process,” Williams said.
Subbing in for John Lloyd Clemente to start the fourth, Williams was instrumental in dishing out two assists that led to baskets for import Kylor Kelley in a sizzing 14-0 run, which turned Converge’s 88-92 deficit into a 102-92 advantage with just 1:18 left.
“In the fourth quarter, I just wanted to get my feet wet and get a feel for the game again. Being in my first game in a while, I just tried to take it one stride at a time,” he said.
FiberXers head coach Delta Pineda admitted Williams is still adapting to the team’s system but judging by how he played, his impact will be huge for the squad.
“Mikey still has a long way to go (to fully integrate into the system) But, of course, he’s still a threat whenever he’s inside,” Pineda said.
“The momentum of our offense changed when Mikey became the point. He set everything.”
Overall, Williams just cherished his time back, albeit three quarters late.
“It felt good. I missed the game. I missed being out here. Playing in front of the fans that we have and just the overall basketball culture. You miss that,” he said.