Poy Erram has come full circle as a member of the TNT Tropang Giga.

Erram won his first PBA championship with the team that drafted him, let him go, and reacquired him as TNT ruled the Philippine Cup with a five-game demolition of Magnolia on Friday, October 29.

“This championship is truly sweet for me because this is the team that drafted me,” Erram said in a mix of Filipino and English moments after breaking down in tears.

“[L]ooking back, [I was] totally a nobody. From college to the pros, nobody knew me,” he added. “I worked my ass off every day just to be here, just to be with these guys.”

Serving as a backup to NorthPort Batang Pier star Greg Slaughter in the UAAP for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Erram got drafted by the Tropang Giga as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft.

However, TNT left Erram unprotected for the 2014 expansion draft, where Blackwater took him as the 11th overall pick.

Playing for a new team proved to be a blessing in disguise for the 32-year-old big man as it was with the Elite – now called the Bossing – where he showed his true potential.

Erram won the Defensive of the Year plum and earned a spot in the Mythical Second Team in 2018 during his tenure with Blackwater before NLEX acquired him through a three-team trade.

His stint with the Road Warriors turned out to be short-lived, though, as Erram found himself at the center of another three-team trade in 2020 – a deal that sent him back to the Tropang Giga.

TNT certainly benefitted from the trade, with Erram averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in the finals.

He dominated on the defensive end in the title-clinching Game 5, chalking up 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 26 minutes off the bench.

Erram credited Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes and veterans Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, and Ryan Reyes for keeping him in check at times when he loses his cool.

“I was emotional in the past. I act based on my emotion. But now, when they know that my emotions act up, they are there to guide me, professionally on and off the court,” Erram said.

Despite a roller-coaster career, things have fallen into place for Erram.

“I’m really blessed to win my first championship with the team that drafted me,” Erram said. – Rappler.com