Chris Newsome reunites with Norman Black, a former mentor in his early days in Ateneo. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Norman Black had already left Ateneo for a head coaching stint back in the PBA with Meralco when Chris Newsome played for the Blue Eagles.
But Newsome and Black go a long way and the athletic guard owes the Grand Slam coach a lot as he made his way to prominence as one of the most electrifying players in the UAAP.
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And Newsome is looking forward to training with Black as he begins the new chapter of his career as part of the Bolts, who drafted him as the sixth overall pick.
“I’m excited to finally get to work with coach Norman. He’s been there for me ever since I moved here to the Philippines so I feel like he’s been the one who saw my game develop the most,” said Newsome. “He saw me come in as a raw athlete and he’s seen me develop to what I’ve been able to accomplish at Ateneo and also he kind of taught me the ropes as far as how to balance both school and basketball.”
“He’s seen every aspect of my game and he’s seen me improve so I feel that he’s the most capable of using me to the best of my abilities.”
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The 6-foot-2 Newsome feels he would be a perfect fit for Meralco. It also helps that the Bolts also got a playmaker in Baser Amer.
“I definitely plan on being more aggressive in the open court with this team being more of a run-and-gun team. And we just also drafted Baser and he can help at the point guard duties so I can really just focus on playing one or two positions instead of playing four.” CFC