Chris Tiu opens up about the 'hardest hit on the face' he has experienced in a PBA game

Basketball star Chris Tiu who plays for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters opened up about the "hardest hit on the face" he has experienced in a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) game.

On his Instagram account, he narrated his 1-second blackout experience last May 20 during a match against Globalport in the PBA Commisioner's Cup.

"I decided to post this on my main feed for remembrance. The left photo was the night of the incident & right photo was 7 days after," Chris wrote on Instagram.

"It happened 12 days ago on May 20 in a PBA game. It was the hardest hit on the face I've ever experienced causing a 1 second blackout," he added.

Chris said his doctor told him he was "lucky" it did not cause complications with the his brain and face.

"My doctor, who is a plastic surgeon, said that my tooth ripped through my lip muscle so deep that only the skin was left. They said the impact was so strong and that I was really lucky because there could have been worse complications with the brain & face."

 

I decided to post this on my main feed for remembrance. The left photo was the night of the incident & right photo was 7 days after. It happened 12 days ago on May 20 in a PBA game. It was the hardest hit on the face I've ever experienced causing a 1 second blackout. My doctor, who is a plastic surgeon, said that my tooth ripped through my lip muscle so deep that only the skin was left. They said the impact was so strong and that I was really lucky because there could have been worse complications with the brain & face. My guardian angels were surely watching over me! Doc Gerald Sy did such a good job stitching me up w/ minimal pain during and after. I also realized later that I should not have been allowed to return to play right away since there should have been a concussion protocol. I guess this is a lesson for myself, the league and for other athletes. Again, I'd like to thank all those who were sending messages of support and for your prayers! And also to my amazing doctors and PTs who made me look fresh again (and whiter! Haha you know who you are ) ????

A post shared by Chris Tiu (@chris_tiu17) on

Jun 1, 2018 at 1:22am PDT

"My guardian angels were surely watching over me! Doc Gerald Sy did such a good job stitching me up w/ minimal pain during and after," he added.

He said he should have taken a break after the incident for a "concussion protocol" and added, he hoped for this to serve as a lesson not just for himself but also for the league and the rest of the athletes.

"I also realized later that I should not have been allowed to return to play right away since there should have been a concussion protocol. I guess this is a lesson for myself, the league and for other athletes," he wrote.

Reports said Chris sustained the said hit from Globalport's Malcolm White. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News