MANILA, Philippines—No more college heartbreaks—just professional success. That’s how Jielo Razon and Kim Aurin can look at things after winning a PBA championship with TNT.

On Friday at Araneta Coliseum, Razon and Aurin experienced something they never did together in college: holding up a championship trophy—on the biggest basketball stage in the Philippines.

But their road to this glory wasn’t always smooth sailing.

READ: PBA: TNT Tropang Giga can’t escape talk of Grand Slam

Aurin and Razon played together for Perpetual Help in the NCAA, but  championships never came their way.

So when the opportunity finally arrived in the PBA no less, the two guards it without hesitation.

“Dito pa talaga kami nagtagpo (we met here of all places),” said an ecstatic Razon in an exclusive interview with Inquirer Sports after TNT’s 87-83 overtime win over Ginebra in Game 7 of the Finals.

“With the bond I have with Kim, I didn’t expect us to become champions here. God’s plan is really beautiful.”

ALAS, ALTAS

TNT Tropang Giga’s Kim Aurin during the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Razon and Aurin didn’t have the most colorful collegiate career with the Altas. Despite their strong bond, it never translated into an NCAA championship—or even a Final Four appearance.

Back in Season 98, Aurin and Razon were poised to push the Altas, at least, to the playoffs, with their chemistry intact under coach Myk Saguiguit.

The 2022 season started out well for the Perpetual, until Aurin prematurely ended his final playing career in the NCAA due to undisclosed reasons.

READ: TNT conquers Ginebra in Game 7 classic to win 11th PBA title

That, of course, left Razon to take charge while Aurin made a name for himself in the PBA 3×3 scene with, funnily enough, Ginebra.

Without Aurin, the Altas finished eighth with a 7-11 record. Aurin declared for the PBA Draft but went undrafted.

Soon after, though, Aurin was signed by TNT and Razon played his final year with Perpetual Help, where he spent his final year with a 10-8 record—just one win shy of the Final Four.

It may have been heartbreaking for Razon, who also went undrafted in the PBA, but as the saying goes–after the bad times, things can only go up.

CHAMPIONSHIP, AT LAST

TNT Tropang Giga’s Jielo Razon. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net

When Razon was signed by TNT after his run with the Parañaque Patriots in late 2024, he immediately called Aurin to let him know about the news.

“He was immediately the first guy I texted when I arrived in TNT,” said shifty guard Razon.

“I told him to have trust in himself and continue to perserve,” Aurin told the Inquirer, revealing what he had said to Razon when he called him up.

While  thatperseverance and trust didn’t translate to success in Perpetual Help, it certainly worked in the big leagues.

For Aurin, who has tasted heartbreaks after heartbreaks, succeeding with his partner-in-crime,, was nothing short of satisfying.

READ: PBA: ‘Sky’s the limit’ for TNT in Philippine Cup, says RHJ

“This feels so good. We were together in Perpetual for three or four years,” said Aurin, drenched in champagne inside TNT’s dugout.

“Back then, we don’t appear in semis or Finals. Now, we’re champions.”

The moment was so surreal that Aurin and Razon found themselves sharing the exact same thought.

“I told him, ‘Can you believe we won here?’ The Lord’s blessings are incredible,” said Aurin.

Razon and Aurin may not have made the most impact in the Tropang Giga’s second-straight title but with an aging and ailing Jayson Castro plus a Rondae Hollis-Jefferson-less lineup for the upcoming Philippine Cup, TNT may need some more help.

Some help from Perpetual Help, to be exact.