Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Coming in a tad late at the resumption of Gilas Pilipinas’ weekly evening practices at Meralco Gym on Monday, Gabe Norwood admitted he was quite startled with the influx of young talent which attended the session.
“It was wild waking in. I didn’t know the young guys were gonna be in, so I walked in late, I looked over and there was about 30 people in here,” Norwood said.
Norwood’s seniority was further highlighted as he found himself the oldest player on the floor at 32.
The Rain or Shine defender, however, doesn’t mind being the eldest on the team as he loves seeing the Gilas family expand to the younger batch.
“It’s good to see, and at the same time, it’s awesome to know that I’ve been a part of the program for so long and to really see it grow and see where it’s going, it’s pretty awesome,” he said.
National team coach Chot Reyes mixed the young guns with the veterans in one big practice session, running some of the Philippine team’s set plays that gave the seniors a first-hand look of the future.
And after just a short practice, Norwood was elated with how members of the “23-for-23” list fared.
“The biggest thing for me was when we actually put in the offense, it seems like everybody picked it up pretty quick,” he observed.
“I don’t know how much the cadets and the younger guys did with the youth groups, in terms of the offense we were running last tournament, but everybody seemed to come out and picked it up quick, and guys weren’t afraid to ask questions and learn. So I mean, if you’re willing to learn at this point, you’re in good shape.”
That makes Norwood all the more excited to see the new guys strut their stuff when they get their turn to represent the country in the 2023 Fiba World Cup here.
“I’ll be cheering them from the stands, cheering my head off. But I’m really excited for the group. Who knows who’s gonna be in, playing here in Manila, so it should be an exciting time,” he said.