

TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa during Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals between the Tropang 5G and San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa laughed off the jeers he received from the San Miguel Beer faithful during Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Lastimosa seemed undeterred by the boos during halftime of the Tropang 5G’s eventual 86-78 victory, days after the official criticized the Beermen’s Jericho Cruz and Chris Ross following Game 4.
😁❗️
On the way to the dugout for halftime, TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa was bombarded by jeers from San Miguel fans.
Lastimosa responded by simply smiling at the Beermen fans’ section. #PBAFinals @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/N89jfS2cKo
— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) July 23, 2025
READ: PBA Finals: Jericho Cruz stunned by Jojo Lastimosa’s ‘acting up’ remarks
The PBA legend called Cruz a “little boy” after expressing his frustration for being a “showboat” while also taking some shots at Ross, who he shooed away after comforting an injured Poy Erram at the end of the previous contest.
His comments provided an additional color to the Finals, which began when TNT took Game 1 after the league’s technical committee ruled Mo Tautuaa’s dunk as a basket interference.
READ: PBA Finals: Chris Ross responds to Lastimosa’s ‘not a nice guy’ remark
The Tropang 5G extended the series to a Game 6 after dropping three straight, including the Game 4 setback marred by the Lastimosa-Ross incident.
In the past few days, Lastimosa was being bashed by netizens for calling out the two San Miguel players.
To add to the social media chatter, a supposed photo of Lastimosa that showed him sticking his tongue out at Vergel Meneses during a 1995 Finals game between Alaska and Sunkist also started circulating.
But it was later discovered that the picture was a photoshopped screenshot from the telecast of that said game, making it as if Lastimosa was taunting Meneses when in fact the two are good friends.
Sources said that Lastimosa is aware of the fake photo that has made the rounds on social media.