MANILA, Philippines – For a player like Jeron Teng who got used to winning championships in the collegiate level, a fruitless six-year chase for a professional title felt like forever.

Fortunately for Teng, his decision to join San Miguel bore fruit as he captured his first PBA crown, with the Beermen ruling the Commissioner’s Cup after a six-game conquest of Magnolia that ended on Wednesday, February 14.

“I can finally say that I’m a champion in the PBA because I worried that [it has been so long], I won my last championship in college,” said Teng, who led the La Salle Green Archers to a pair of UAAP crowns, along with titles in other collegiate leagues.

Picked fifth overall by Alaska in the 2017 Draft, Teng came close to bagging a championship in his rookie year as the Aces battled the Hotshots in the 2018 Governors’ Cup finals.

Alaska, though, fell short and bowed to Magnolia in six games.

What came next were a series of early exits as the Aces failed to make it past the quarterfinals in each of the six succeeding conferences before they decided to disband the team and sell their PBA franchise to Converge in 2022.

The FiberXers reached the playoffs in each of the three conferences they played for their debut season, but they were nowhere near as powerful as the perennial title contenders in the league.

After parting ways with Converge at the end of the 2022-2023 season, Teng signed with San Miguel with the intention of winning a breakthrough PBA title and making his father and former Beermen standout Alvin proud.

The older Teng won all of his nine PBA championships with the San Miguel franchise, including a rare Grand Slam in the 1989 season.

“I’m truly blessed to be part of San Miguel and to win one with the team that my dad played for and helped win multiple championships,” said the younger Teng. 

“Ever since I joined San Miguel, I’ve given my dad a lot of joy so I’m really grateful. He just always tells me to give my best for San Miguel.”

Now that he has gotten a taste of a championship, Teng already has his sights set on another one, especially with the Philippine Cup coming off the wraps on February 28.

“The championship feeling is very addicting,” said Teng. “I’m just thinking of getting more. We want more.” – Rappler.com