For Chris Newsome, wearing the Gilas Pilipinas jersey has never been about convenience.
Even after another grueling PBA campaign, the veteran guard once again answered the national team’s call—something Meralco coach Luigi Trillo says perfectly captures the kind of player Newsome has always been.
Speaking to the reporters Trillo admitted he takes pride in seeing his star guard represent the country, but that pride also comes with concern.
After helping Meralco reach the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, Newsome barely had any time to recover before immediately reporting for Gilas Pilipinas’ buildup for the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
For Trillo, that’s simply who Newsome is.
“It’s such an honor to be on a national team and any player from your team will put country first and that’s okay… but the thing with New is, he can be on one leg and he’ll still play,” he said.
What many fans don’t see, however, is the physical punishment the 35-year-old has been enduring behind the scenes.
According to Trillo, Newsome continues to play through lingering injuries that would sideline many players.
“Look at his hands, his fingers aren’t sound. One of them dislocates every practice. No joke. He has to pull that finger back into place,” Trillo also revealed.
Despite those setbacks, Newsome never hesitated when Gilas needed him.
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He suited up for the national team during its World Cup qualifying campaign, including Friday’s double-overtime battle against New Zealand. Although he was limited in minutes and finished scoreless in the 106-102 defeat, his presence remained valuable as one of the team’s veteran leaders.
Trillo believes Newsome’s willingness to sacrifice is both admirable and worrying.
“I think it’s a double-edged sword because of the success we’ve had deep in the playoffs and he has that. He has no time to recover, no time to rest his body. Also, New’s older now. You see some of these other guys, they will sit. New’s right there from the start, though. He’s always there. That’s Newsome for you,” he said.
“I wish I can tell him what to do sometimes, but he’s just remarkable. New’s very committed in those aspects.”
The demanding schedule isn’t over yet.
Once Gilas wraps up its qualifying window against Australia on Monday, Newsome will have only a brief break before returning to Meralco, where the Bolts begin another title chase in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
For Newsome, however, the routine has become familiar—serve the country first, recover later.
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