UP’s Francis Lopez emotional in heel-to-hero UAAP finals turnaround
MANILA, Philippines – “What the f*ck are they going to say now!”
Vilified for days after Game 2, an emotional Francis Lopez let it all out on court as the UP Fighting Maroons celebrated winning the UAAP men’s basketball crown.
Lopez couldn’t have crafted a better redemption story, so he had every right to mouth the same post-championship words of NBA superstars Stephen Curry in 2022 and Jayson Tatum in 2024.
“I don’t care what they say. I am not here to please anybody outside, man. As a matter of fact, f*ck them,” Lopez told reporters after the game.
“I don’t give a shit. What I care about is the team, what’s inside of us, and I’m really happy that we got this win, and I can officially say that I am a champion.”
UAAP FINALS G3 | WATCH:
— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) December 15, 2024
WARNING: NSFW language
THE F— ARE THEY GONNA SAY NOW?
Francis Lopez celebrates after helping tow UP to the #UAAPSeason87 title! pic.twitter.com/3QI22BhcCX
Lopez more than atoned for his four missed free throws and two turnovers late in Game 2 that saw the Maroons absorb a heartbreaking 76-75 loss to the La Salle Green Archers.
Those blunders made the high-flying forward online fodder, even as he owned up to them, saying there’s “no excuse.”
In Game 3, Lopez knocked in 12 points, hauled down 11 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists, but more importantly, he showed up in the clutch by hitting a booming triple with just 75 seconds left that gave the Maroons a 64-60 lead.
“I was like, I’m going to shoot this, and it went in,” said Lopez as the Maroons wrapped up the do-or-die match with a 66-62 decision.
“It was a surreal moment and that, but the game wasn’t over, [so I thought] I am going to keep my composure,” he added.
“After that final buzzer, everything sunk in. All that hard work and the support from the UP community, family. I want to thank the Man above. Thank you so much. We really worked hard and made it happen.”
With the 6-foot-6 stalwart rising above the noise, so did UP as the Maroons snapped a two-season runner-up curse — both off Game 3 losses to Ateneo in 2022 and La Salle in 2023.
“I would like to thank them (coaches and teammates) for their trust in me. We were still able to talk with one another,” said Lopez.
“It’s a really surreal moment, man. I’m just happy that we got that [Game 2] loss and we were able to conquer this time.” – Rappler.com