MVP not giving up on Olympic basketball dream
By June Navarro
One failed mission hasn’t diminished the passion of basketball’s Most Valuable Patron in wanting to see the national team play in the Olympics someday.
One failed mission hasn’t diminished the passion of basketball’s Most Valuable Patron in wanting to see the national team play in the Olympics someday.
Smart Gilas Pilipinas leaves Tuesday for the Fiba Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, needing to win the continental tournament to secure an outright berth in the 2012 London Olympics.
Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman is cramming to get the national team in peak form and have the PBA-loaned players adjust to his system in 10 days for the Fiba Asia Championship.
Aside from Qatar and Jordan, Lebanon might come over to the mini training camp put up by Smart Gilas Pilipinas for its final push to the Fiba Asia Championship.
As far as seven months back, JV Casio had a lock on the number one rookie pick.
So it came as no surprise when Casio, the dynamic point guard out of La Salle and a pillar of the Smart Gilas national team, became the first choice of Powerade in yesterday’s PBA Rookie Draft at Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila.
A talent-rich Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft that suits rebuilding Powerade well takes place Sunday with the Tigers expected to tab ace point guard JV Casio first overall and a big man in fourth spot.
Smart Gilas manager Frankie Lim Wednesday confirmed that a series of tuneup matches against Qatar and Jordan is being planned for September 8 to 11 in Manila.
Smart Gilas-Pilipinas mainstays led a total of 36 aspirants who took part in the PBA Rookie Camp that started Tuesday at Club 650 gym in Libis, Quezon City..
Two days after claiming his first PBA title, Petron Blaze rookie coach Ato Agustin is already looking ahead to the next season as he tries to steer the Boosters for more glory in the season-opening All-Filipino Cup.
Smart Gilas has a lot of cramming up to do with the Talk ‘N Text stars set to join the national team just a little over two weeks before the Fiba Asia Championship.
Smart Gilas Pilipinas will have to rebuild around naturalized center Marcus Douthit and Chris Tiu if national players who beat Thursday’s PBA draft deadline get picked by teams in the pro league.
Smart Gilas Pilipinas management is expected to open negotiations Wednesday with key members of the team to counter the lure of the Philippine Basketball Association rookie draft, whose deadline for application is pegged Thursday.
Talk ‘N Text survived another physical battle against Petron and hammered out a 103-85 victory Wednesday night in Game 2 of the PBA Governors Cup championship here.
