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Known as the face of the PBA for so long, James Yap has inspired a lot of players for the past decade and a half as he went on to win two league Most Valuable Player awards.
And even Mac Belo was no exception.
The rookie admitted being speechless when Blackwater played Rain or Shine on Friday.
“I was starstruck,” he said.
READ: Rain or Shine back on track, sends Blackwater to 2nd loss
There were a handful of times in the first half when Yap guarded Belo, and to the latter’s dismay, his emotions got the better of him.
“My shot went short when he was the one guarding me,” he said.
But it wasn’t just against Yap, as Belo shot horribly from the field, going on a 6-of-16 clip to finish with 13 points and nine rebounds.
In turn, the Elite fell for the second consecutive game, this time in a 107-93 loss to the Elasto Painters.
Belo said the Rain or Shine defense made him uncomfortable, as taller defenders ranging from Yap, Gabe Norwood, and Raymond Almazan took turns in schooling the neophyte.
“They had great defense on me. They had taller and lengthier defenders on me and I had a hard time shooting the ball,” he said.
That also goes for the whole Elite crew, as they shot 42-percent from the field in the game.
Belo also noted that players tried to take matters into their own hands in trying to trim down the lead. And the results was disastrous as Rain or Shine coasted to a 22-point edge, 99-77, midway in the fourth.
“We played individually on offense. We can’t find the open man so we were pressed to shoot forced shots,” he said.
Belo is hopeful that the five-day break will allow the Elite to re-assess their miscues and bounce back against NLEX on Wednesday.
“We have to review all of our mistakes. We need to work harder so we can bounce back next game,” he said.