Stanley Pringle and Robert Bolick. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
NorthPort newcomer Robert Bolick scored 10 points in his first six minutes in the PBA, had nine in the third quarter before adding the finishing touches in the final frame including a tough step back jumper from the deep right corner in front of his team’s bench.
“He’s not even a rookie,” said his superstar teammate Stanley Pringle Wednesday after the Batang Pier steamrolled the Blackwater Elite, 117-91, in the two squads’ opening game in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup. ” He’s ready to go, ready to work.”
The 23-year-old Bolick debuted in style, turning in a game-high 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field on top of three rebounds and three assists in close to 36 minutes of play.
“He’s different. He’s made [for the PBA],” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio.
PBA fans who never religiously followed Bolick’s NCAA career were surely left surprised by the guard’s performance.
But his Batang Pier teammates have somewhat saw that coming from Bolick.
“We’re not surprised. I’m not surprised because I’ve seen him play in our tune-up games and I’ve known then that he’s going to have a big impact on our team,” said swingman Paolo Taha, who also starred for NorthPort with a career-best 21 points.
“We all know Robert is a winner ever since he was in college with many championships at San Beda. I like playing with him because he can do everything. He’s a court general, an unselfish player so he and Stanley are the ones who dictate our tempo,” Taha added.