Herndon comfortable at Star: ‘I feel I belong here’

Robbie Herndon. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson/ INQUIRER.net

Robbie Herndon couldn’t be happier being a part of Star.

The Fil-Am swingman admitted that he liked the Hotshots even before the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft, and after one week of training with the team, his expectations were matched.

“I’m good. I feel comfortable,” he said. “I love the players and I love the coaches because they’re very welcoming. They’re all nice and the veterans give me good advice. I feel I belong here and I’m happy to be here.”

READ: GlobalPort ships Robbie Herndon to Star in 3-on-1 swap

Taken sixth overall by GlobalPort in the recent annual rookie selection, Herndon quickly found his way to Star as he was traded, together with third rounder Gian Abrigo, for Lervin Flores, Joseph Gabayni, and Julian Sargent on draft night.

He agreed to a two-year deal on Friday.

Herndon wasted no time acclimating himself with the Purefoods franchise, blending well with mainstays Peter June Simon, Mark Barroca, and Marc Pingris.

READ: Herndon motivated to play alongside league’s top guards

Adding to his comfort is these veterans’ jovial vibe, saying, “They’re veterans but they like to have fun and bring that cool aspect.”

Still, Herndon knows that work is just getting started, and with coach Chito Victolero known as a defensive tactician, he expects the grind to go up a level in the coming days.

“It’s been a lot of offense so far in the first week, but I know that the focus here is defense. We’re just getting a hang of some of the plays, but when we start on defense, that’s where we pick the intensity up,” he said.