Paul Lee will play a different role for his seventh trip to the PBA Finals as he tries to help the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok beat the San Miguel Beermen in their best-of-seven title series in the Philippine Cup after years of being one of the team's main adversaries.
Lee faced Magnolia in the finals three times as a member of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, engaging in hard-fought battles in the 2012 Governors' Cup, 2014 Philippine Cup and 2014 Governors' Cup.
He hopes to figure well for the Hotshots as an ally, though the odds are stacked against them with the Beermen labeled as favorites in the finals that awards the winner possession of the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy for one year.
"Siguro hindi naging madali para sa akin kasi bago pa rin ako sa team," said Lee, who was traded to the Hotshots in 2016 in exchange for two-time MVP James Yap. "Ito yung first finals appearance ko kasama bagong teammate, bagong coach, bagong team. Hindi namin ibibigay basta-basta. Ita-try talaga namin.
"Tignan natin kung ano ang magagawa namin. Mabigat na kalaban ang San Miguel, pero yun nga trabaho natin ito. Try lang, tignan natin kung anong mangyayari," he added.
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Rain or Shine won the first meeting in the 2012 Governors' Cup, though it came with Lee missing the rest of the series after injuring his shoulder in Game 2. The Hotshots settled for runner-up honors with the B-Meg Llamados as their team name.
Lee tried to beat the rechristened San Mig Super Coffee Mixers twice in 2014, only to see Rain or Shine become a stepping stone in the latter's successful run at the PBA's fifth Grand Slam.
The Elasto Painters fell 4-2 in the 2014 Philippine Cup Finals marred by a partial walkout instigated by then-coach Yeng Guiao in Game 6. They tried to exact revenge later that season in the Governors' Cup Finals, pushing the Mixers to a deciding fifth game.
But Rain or Shine lost the deciding game and the series, cementing San Mig Super Coffee's place in the record books.
Lee is seeking his third PBA championship. His recent title came in the 2016 Commissioner's Cup when he won Finals MVP for leading Rain or Shine to a 4-2 triumph over Alaska.
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