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Jericho Cruz, a former Marianas High School basketball standout, has been named Finals MVP of the Philippine Basketball Association’s Philippine Cup—Asia’s oldest professional basketball league.
Cruz played a pivotal role in the San Miguel Beermen’s six-game championship series win over TNT Tropang Giga, averaging 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His biggest performance came in Game 4, where he scored a team-high 23 points to give San Miguel a 3-1 series lead. The Beermen eventually clinched the series 4-2, denying TNT a rare grand slam.
The 34-year-old Cruz, who now plays for Guam’s national basketball team, credited San Miguel’s championship run to the controversial end of Game 1, where a potential game-winning dunk by Mo Tautuaa was disallowed after a late video review. TNT went on to win that game, but the incident reportedly served as motivation for the Beermen the rest of the way.
San Miguel sports director Alfrancis Chua also played a role in Cruz’s resurgence after an underwhelming Game 1, urging him to rediscover the fiery style of play he’s long been known for. Cruz responded with an emotional and aggressive performance the rest of the series—marked by his signature high-energy, sometimes confrontational, on-court presence.
However, his style drew criticism from TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa, who described Cruz’s behavior as “childish” during a post-Game 4 interview. Lastimosa had previously coached Cruz during his stint with the NLEX Road Warriors. Despite the tension, Cruz said the matter was later resolved privately.
Off the court, Cruz acknowledged the support of his family, teammates, and coaching staff. He also expressed gratitude to the community in Saipan, where he was raised, calling them a continued source of motivation throughout his 14-year professional career.
Cruz, who holds ties to both the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, said he hopes his story inspires other young athletes from the Pacific to pursue their basketball dreams, whether in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, or the United States.
“My motivation comes from being a small islander guy like me and coming from Saipan to a country like the Philippines,” said Cruz in a social media interview. “I hope they got inspired by me doing this.”
Guam men’s national basketball team coach Edward Calvo and Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation president James Lee both thanked Cruz for giving the region enormous pride in the PBA.
“I’m so proud of Jericho, and our Team Guam family is happy for him. Jericho is obviously in good form!” said Calvo.
“We want to congratulate Jericho and his team on a well-deserved win and also on being named the Finals MVP. I know how hard he’s been training specifically for this since his last championship and after his injury. He showed great leadership and played every second with passion. Big congrats again,” said Lee.
Cruz recently suited up for Guam in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 tournament in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but missed the last two games due to a leg injury. Guam eventually fell short on its quarterfinals bid against South Korea.
Looking ahead, Guam is also set to face Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, a matchup likely to feature several of Cruz’s PBA teammates.
Before that, Cruz plans to return to Saipan to conduct youth basketball clinics—an effort he hopes will spark the rise of the next Pacific Islander to follow in his professional footsteps.
Report by Mark Rabago
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