Photo by Randolph B. Leongson
Gary David is going back to his roots.
He has proudly represented represented his province of Bataan since joining the big league, but this time, the 39-year-old is returning as member of Bataan Defenders in the upcoming Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
“This will be my first time to play in front of my home crowd since I turned pro,” said David.
David also sees this MPBL stint as his last hurrah as a basketball player, slowly accepting his fate in his ongoing battle with Father Time.
“It seems that way, but as long as I feel that I can still play, I’ll play. I’ll always try to help our place get those wins. It’s my own way of giving back to my fellow Bataan people. It’s an honor to team up with people who also came from Bataan and I’m really glad with this experience,” said the Dinalupihan native.
David knows how some of his teammates feel starstruck around him and he is using the opportunity to
to impart whatever knowledge he gained in the PBA and his international career to his Bataan teammates.
“When I attend our practices, they can’t help but take a picture with me. But I tell them that we’re together everyday in our practices and they can see how hands-on I am with them. I am willing to teach them what I know and give them advice if they need it,” he said.
David also likened this run with Bataan to that of Gilas Pilipinas as he compared the sense of pride of the players in defending their respective home turfs.
“This is more about pride. Here, we don’t talk about how big your salary is. What we’re fighting here is the pride that you carry the name of your hometown. You want to be at your best every single time and we want to proudly represent the people of Bataan,” he said.