Retired NBA star Glenn Rice believes that speed and good outside shooting are what a Filipino player needs most to make it to the NBA.
The 50 year-old Rice said this during a three-day viewing party for the first NBA Filipino Heritage Week at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig a few days ago.
He said the games in the NBA have become more uptempo and fast-paced which cater to smaller players like two-time MVP Steph Curry, James Harden and Russel Westbrook, who is now leading the NBA MVP race.
Listed at 6-foot-7, Rice also noted that the current NBA top players are playmakers or point guards.
Rice mentioned Kobe Paras and Kiefer Ravena, who are now in the United States, as those who could play in the NBA someday.
Paras is now playing for Creighton University and Ravena played with Texas Legends in the NBA D-League.
Rice said aside from speed, Filipino players are shooting three-pointers very well and if they keep on doing that there will be Filipinos in the NBA very soon.
When Rice arrived in the country, he immediately sought out Allan Caidic.
Caidic and Rice became friends during the NBA Asia Challenge held here in the Philippines in 2010. Rice, together with NBA greats Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond and Gary Payton played an exhibition game with local Legends.
Caidic and Rice were teammates in the red team against the opposing white team. Rice, a prolific shooting guard then, was mesmerized with the shooting prowess of the man called the Triggerman in the PBA.
In just 24 minutes of action, Caidic scored 54 points, highlighted by 14 triples, and this was enough for Rice not to forget the Triggerman.