Christian Standhardinger has hung up his Gilas Pilipinas jersey for good.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, May 20, the two-time PBA Best Player of the Conference announced his retirement as a Philippine national men's basketball team member.
"With a heavy heart, I must announce my retirement from the Philippine national team. I am immensely proud to witness that Gilas is in capable hands," Standhardinger said.
The announcement came days after Standhardinger helped the Philippines reclaim the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games.
The 33-year-old player contributed nine points and seven rebounds for Gilas Pilipinas during the gold-medal match against the host team in Cambodia in the 2023 SEA Games on Tuesday, May 16.
"The finals game marked a highly emotional day for me. Looking down in the Locker room 30 min before tip-off at my swollen knees, I knew that this particular game would be my last appearance for the Gilas national team, proudly wearing the blue jersey," Standhardinger stressed.
"I knew that my body could not withstand the double duty, and unfortunately, nothing showed that more clearly than this tournament, where the demands were intensified," he added.
Standhardinger also helped Gilas Pilipinas strike gold in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the SEA Games.
"Surrounded by remarkable individuals, both as players and, more importantly, as human beings, I couldn't ask for a better last experience. It is an absolute privilege to witness a team coming together in such a unique and remarkable way," Standhardinger said.
"My journey in the Philippines began with a SEA Games gold medal, and it seems fitting that it concludes with one as well," he added.
Standhardinger also expressed his belief to the new generation of Gilas Pilipinas players, particularly mentioning Brandon Rosser, and Mike Philipps, who also played in the recent edition of the SEA Games.
"The future of Philippine basketball is in good hands, and this brings me both relief and joy," Standhardinger said.
"As I close this chapter of my life, I leave with a sense of fulfillment and pride in contributing to the glory of Philippine basketball. I have complete faith that Gilas will continue to soar to greater heights and bring more pride to our beloved nation," he added.
