NLEX guard Jericho Cruz with Los Angeles Lakers star Dennis Schröder. JERICHO CRUZ IG
MANILA, Philippines — Training at one of the most popular facilities in the United States certainly has its perks.
Jericho Cruz, who is in the US working out with the rest of the Guam national team, managed to take a photo with Los Angeles Lakers star Dennis Schröder at the Sports Academy (formerly Mamba Sports Academy) in Thousand Oaks, California.
The Academy was founded in 2016 and was later launched as the Mamba Sports Academy in 2018 when the late Kobe Bryant joined.
The facility dropped the “Mamba” name after Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash in January 2020 that also claimed the life of his daughter Gianna and seven others.
The name change was out of respect for the wishes of Bryant’s family.
Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy also conducts trainings at the facility.
Cruz, who is Filipino-Guamanian, made his debut for Guam in February 2020 in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
The 30-year-old guard, who also plays for the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA, posted four points, four rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes in a 113-94 loss to New Zealand.
Guam, which has only played one game so far in the qualifiers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is in Group C along with Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The resumption of play in Groups A, B and C of the qualifiers will be played in a bubble in Clark from June 16-20.