NBA stars help banish ‘Yolanda’ memory

NBA CLINIC James Harden and coach John Lucas watch as Gabriel Hatton (No. 60) shoots the ball during the NBA clinic at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Tuesday. AUGUST DE LA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines–Sometimes, reality can far exceed even the wildest dreams.

This was proven true by three elementary school children left severely traumatized by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” last year—they received a much-needed boost on Tuesday when they got to play with National Basketball Association players, led by NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard of the champion San Antonio Spurs.

“Their feet are so big!” exclaimed 12-year-old Kylle Villamor, who plays forward for the grade school team of the ravaged San Jose Elementary School in Tacloban City. “They are much taller and bigger than I imagined.”

“Their hands are so large,” 11-year-old Kenneth Cadivis said. He plays center for the team, which is again competing in the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association tournament.

‘They’re like giants’

The tournament will start in November, a year after Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) left a wide trail of destruction in Tacloban City and other cities and provinces in central Philippines.

“They are like giants with giant shoes,” 12-year-old Gabriel Hatton said, adding he felt “very happy” to have been given the chance to learn valuable skills, shake hands and have his picture taken with the NBA players.

Coach Marlon Nombre expressed confidence that with the pointers his team learned from the NBA players, who were very generous with their time and advice, his team now had a better chance of bringing home the championship trophy.

Nombre’s players have been practicing dribbling and footwork in his room because the court was destroyed by Yolanda.

Sponsored by Smart Sports Marketing, the Grade 6 students and their coach were flown to Manila to take part in a basketball clinic with the NBA stars.

It was their first time to fly an airplane—they rode on Cebu Pacific—and also their first time in Metro Manila.

Cadivis, who could not eat well for weeks after seeing many neighbors die in a massive storm surge caused by Yolanda, said he could not sleep the night before the basketball clinic because he was too excited to see the NBA players in the flesh.

Thus, to actually pass the ball to Houston Rockets’ James Harden and shoot free throws in front of the Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, and Dallas Mavericks’ Tyson Chandler, had put him and his teammates in seventh heaven.

The NBA players are in the country for PLDT Home’s The Last Home Stand All-Star Charity Event with Gilas Pilipinas in support of the Philippine Disaster Relief Foundation, MVP Sports Foundation and Caritas Manila.

Seeing his three pupils with smiles on their faces as they waited for their turn to enter Smart Araneta Coliseum for the clinic on Tuesday almost brought tears to the eyes of 37-year-old Nombre.

He lost everything he owned to Yolanda but Nombre felt fortunate because his family’s lives were spared.

Nombre said smiles had become so rare for these children because of what they and their families went through.

Villamor, for example, had to cling to a tree for four hours to escape the surge when their house was destroyed by a caimito tree that fell at the height of the typhoon.

Villamor said he could still feel the cold of the lashing rain and the pain of seeing debris—as well as bodies—rushing past him.

Hatton, who is looking forward to seeing his idols James Yap and Marc Pingris in person, was also fortunate to have escaped with his life.

He and his family, as well as their neighbors, are now rebuilding their homes in Barangay (village) San Jose.

Nombre said that when the three students went back to school in June, he often saw them staring blankly into space. They did not have a lot of energy or enthusiasm for their lessons.

Yolanda memory replaced

Basketball, however, is helping them become again the laughing, energetic children they were before the strongest typhoon to ever make landfall almost claimed their lives.

“Playing basketball, even just doing the drills and improving their footwork, is helping them get over the trauma and banish the fears that are still there,” Nombre said. “Sports can really make a difference.”

This was why he said he was beside himself with joy when he received word on Friday from his principal that the MVP group was bringing them to Manila for the charity event.

He also could not believe that he and the children actually got to interact with the NBA players they previously only saw on television. They will also be there to watch the NBA team go against the Smart Gilas team. [What actually happened was a warm-up game.–Ed.]

“This has all been too much of an experience, one that we will never forget,” Nombre said.

He said he was going back home to Tacloban Wednesday with the hope that the experience with the NBA players would replace the painful memory of Yolanda.