Another Nagging Injury: Is This the End for Jayson Castro?

If you look back to Game Four of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals, Jayson Castro missed a big chunk of the second half as he needed help to get himself back on the bench- all while in pain. As it turned out, Castro was dealing with bone spurs in both of his knees, and in the words of Aaron Atayde, "He was experiencing pain all throughout this entire bubble (conference). A lot of people don't know that,"

Jump Thru Hoops returned on Tuesday for its 17th episode with Atayde and Jinno Rufino talking about basketball. And when speaking about the greatest floor generals in the history of Philippine basketball, Jayson Castro should be included in the conversation. However, Castro's PBA career including his stints with the national team has been mired with multiple injuries. And with the issue surrounding the bone spurs in his knees that could force him to miss Game Five of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday, one couldn't help but ask the question: is this the end of the road for Jayson Castro?

Rufino reminded us something: Jayson Castro was actually injured when Gilas Pilipinas played in the 2014 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup in Spain. "He was injured for the entire World Cup. He wasn't himself. You're talking about from 2014 to 2020. That's six years. He hasn't been 100%. And he's been playing nonstop (in the PBA and for Gilas Pilipinas)," He added, "You got to give it to him because he's a warrior. He's never gonna ask for time off. He's gonna try and go. But I think that's why he has the injuries that he has because he never took time offs. Unfortunately, it's probably why we're seeing the end of 'prime Blur'."

Atayde expressed his sadness. "It's so sad to see. He hasn't been the same. It's a decline, needless to say. That's why TNT is already making moves and has made moves to build towards the future. I think we were robbed of (a chance to see) how good Jayson really is."

For Jinno Rufino, "If this is the last that we'll see of The Blur as we know him, I think we can all tip-off our hats and say thank you for definitely playing the best that he could for his club team and of course, for the national team,"

The TNT Tropang Giga will attempt to extend this all-Filipino championship series to a Game Six with a big win on Wednesday and that's easier said than done with the team not only missing its leading scorer but also the face of the franchise. But if Game Four was the last page in the legend that is The Blur, it's not the ending we hope to see for a player's career who gave it all but we can be thankful for having the opportunity to witness his rise as the Best Point Guard in Asia.    

As Rufino concluded, "What a warrior!"

Screenshot is from pinoyliga.com Facebook page