Mike Phillips plays defense off-court, backs Topex Robinson after controversy, UAAP verdict
MANILA, Philippines – Their brother’s keeper.
La Salle star forward Mike Phillips came to the defense of his head coach, Topex Robinson, after the latter was subjected to scores of online bashing over his alleged spitting act on UP guard Reyland Torres last Sunday, October 6.
“Even if Coach Topex has anything with the UP situation, I just want everyone to know that myself, the whole entire team, and the whole La Salle community is behind him because he’s proven that he’s been behind us,” Phillips said after the Green Archers’ 77-68 win against the UE Red Warriors.
“I’m able to play this game with my teammates, with my brothers, because Coach Topex has taken all the weight, and so, every single time I make a mistake, I make a bad play, even outside the court, he’s the first one to say, ‘Hey Mike, I’m here for you,'” he added.
The league cleared Robinson of wrongdoing on Saturday, October 12, hours before the La Salle-UE game, but nonetheless issued a “stern warning” for the severity of unsportsmanlike conduct during the verbal tussle.
Admitting that he shouted at the opposition’s guard, Robinson vehemently denied any spitting but apologized anew for lashing back at the much younger player.
“When the lights were off, it could’ve been easy to say, hey, it’s the team. But when the lights are on and the lights are off, you can see Coach Topex is a man that really…he’s a man of his word and he sticks up for his players. So, when we make a mistake, he sticks up for us,” Phillips continued.
The 22-year-old forward, who had 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists in the revenge win, credited the second-year La Salle tactician for helping take the pressure off a team with championship aspirations.
“If there’s any statement, in all my years here in La Salle with Coach Topex, it’s really that Coach Topex has our backs, and that means so much for us. A righteous man falls down seven times and gets up eight,” Phillips said.
“Coach is someone that really is, for me, he’s really an extension of Jesus because, look at him, he’s human. He’s human. We are all human. Even though if we mess up, even though tempers fly — we go back and forth a lot — but he’s always there for us. Even at our lowest, he’s there for us. Now that we’re at a higher point, he’s still there for us.”
Torres, who officially pushed through with his allegation of Robinson before the UAAP, likewise got off with a “stern warning” without further repercussions and is expected to play on Sunday, October 13, against the UST Growling Tigers. – Rappler.com