During the Philippine Basketball Association rookie draft, when FedEx selected the talented swingman with No. 9 pick overall, Gonzales punched in a few buttons on his cellphone and made an important call.
It was to Joe Lipa.
Amid all the hype surrounding the reunion of the two characters of a mysterious chapter in the history of college basketball, Gonzales revelation proved only that there should be nothing wrong with Lipa now handling the reins of the Express.
"I’m actually excited that he’s our coach," Gonzales said.
Of course, there were skeptics who raised eyebrows.
The grudge, whatever it was, between the two was deep enough for Lipa to cut Gonzales, a do-it-all swingman with limitless potential, from the Ateneo roster in the 2001 season. And when Lipa made his debut Sunday night, Gonzales played a measly five minutes.
But Gonzales insists that what happened during their Blue Eagles stint is all buried in the past.
"That part of my career is through. In fact, coach Joe and I didn’t talk about it anymore. That’s a thing of the past and I chose to keep it there," said Gonzales.
Gonzales refused to go into details of what really transpired during that year: "I don’t want to talk about it anymore."
But there were reports that they had personal differences that could not be mended then.
Still, Gonzales believes the relationship is repaired now.
"In fact, he was the first guy I called when FedEx chose me during the rookie draft. I told him, coach, thanks for all your help. I couldn’t have done this without you," the FedEx Gameboy revealed.
"I really feel that if it weren’t for the hardships I went through and the lessons he taught me, I wouldn’t be here right now," said the 23-year-old rookie.
The reunion between Gonzales and Lipa capped a busy week for the Express Gameboy.
The ex-Ateneo standout was a favorite among advertising executives during the launch of the Gameboys, a new gimmick that will feature some of the league’s hottest players.
With the Gameboys, ABC-5, the television coveror of the league, hopes to become a major player in the television industry. In fact, signs are pointing towards the network threatening to crowd television heavyweights like GMA-7 at the top of the ratings game.
Gonzales and the rest of the Gameboys will be featured in huge, attractive billboards that will soon dominate the EDSA landscape.