IT'S not the exact warm welcome Aaron Fuller had in his previous PBA stint.
But as they say, it is what it is.
Fuller played his comeback game in the league straight out of quarantine, yet did enough to help TNT staved off a huge endgame comeback by Rain or Shine, 98-95, to remain at the .500 mark as the Governors' Cup heads to a nine-day holiday break.
The 32-year-old Fuller, who had stops with NLEX and Blackwater in the past, finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds despite not having the benefit of practicing with the entire team prior to his first game with the Tropang Giga.
Fuller was a last-minute replacement for the injured McKenzie Moore.
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As COVID-19 protocols mandated, the 6-foot-6 import had to spent time in quarantine including celebrating Christmas Day in isolation.
He didn't get to really see his teammates until the morning of TNT's game against Rain or Shine, although Fuller just had to quickly run through some of coach Chot Reyes' plays with the help of the Tropang Giga's reserves.
"Everyone has to go through (it). We just try to play during this pandemic and goes through all the quarantine stuff, the tests, and everything," he said.
It's a good thing Fuller had his teammates' back and help him get the win despite the Tropang Giga losing grip of a 13-point lead early in the fourth.
"I got to give credit to my teammates. It's a tough game for me," admitted the import, who is coming off a stint in Mexico.
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"But the most important thing is that we won. They really picked up the slack."
Once he finally settles with his new team, Aaron sees himself going full speed ahead.
"I want to be ready for the next game and try to contribute to our wins," Fuller added. "I like the challenge and I just want to be ready for the next game and be better." (RG)
