Gentle giant Kobe Demisana, 3 other Filipinos make it to Jr. NBA global championship

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will have a big beacon of light leading its way in the Jr. NBA Global Championship.

Kobe Demisana, the gentle 6-foot-5 center from Bacolod’s Tay Tung High School, was chosen as one of the best campers in the Jr. NBA Asia-Pacific Selection Camp that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Of the 10 players from the Jr. NBA Philippines 2019 All-Stars, four were chosen to be part of the Asia-Pacific team that will compete in the Jr. NBA Global Championship in Orlando, Florida from August 6 to 11.

Demisana, 14, started his journey to Orlando when he joined the NBA’s grassroots program in Bacolod and selected to be part of the National Training Camp (NTC) as one of the Visayas region’s best even.

“After my Jr. NBA NTC stint last year, I was really down but it did not stop me fro continuing to work for my dreams,” said Demisana. “Aside from my studying, I dedicated my time developing my skills that I need to improve my game.”

Demisana initially experienced heartbreak when he failed to make the All-Star team in 2018 but that just motivated him to be a better player.

That setback, ironically, propelled him to Orlando where he will join fellow Filipinos Matthew Rubico, Sebastian Reyes, and Camille Nolasco in the Asia Pacific Team that also includes one player each from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

“I prepared myself physically and mentally. Last year I was really scared to commit mistakes but with that, I learned from my previous Jr. NBA experience” said Demisana.