Williams hogs limelight in PBAPC Awards

MANILA, Philippines — Mikey Williams will be the recipient of not just one but three accolades during the 2022 PBA Press Corps Awards Night at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center.

The TNT Fil-Am guard leads the All-Rookie team to be feted by the men and women regularly covering the beat in its first face-to-face event in the last three years.

Along with Williams, who was named Rookie of the Year for Season 46, other members of the team includes Jamie Malonzo (NorthPort), Calvin Oftana (NLEX), Leonard Santillan (Rain or Shine), and Joshua Munzon (Terrafirma).

The awards night is set June 21.

The 30-year-old Williams had a brilliant rookie season for TNT, which saw him win a first ever PBA championship during the Philippine Cup, where he was also named Finals MVP.

The No. 4 pick overall in the 2020 draft was likewise a major contender for the Season MVP plum and ended up as member of the Mythical First Team.

Aside from the All-Rookie team, Williams will be recognized too as the Scoring Champion of the season, ending the two-year reign of San Miguel wingman CJ Perez.

Finally, the Los Angeles, California native joins Ian Sangalang (Magnolia), Matthew Wright (Phoenix), and Robert Bolick (NorthPort) as part of the group to be honored with the Order of Merit.

The award is given to individuals who got the most number of Player of the Week honors also given out by the Press Corps.

Still to be named is the Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Mr. Quality Minutes, the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year, and Game of the Season.

TNT’s Chot Reyes and Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra are slugging it out for the highest honor given to the top performing coach of the season named after the late ‘Maestro’ Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan.

Cone and Reyes emerged champions in a season where the league played under a two-conference format.

Reyes steered the Tropang Giga to the Philippine Cup championship inside the Bacolor bubble in his coaching comeback in the league after a decade, while Cone led the Kings to their fourth Governors Cup title in the last six years.