Abueva earns Baldwin’s admiration: ‘He can play for me any time’

Calvin Abueva is down on the floor as his teammates circle around him during Gilas Pilipinas’ game vs Chinese Taipei-B Sunday. Musong R. Castillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer

TAIPEI – Calvin Abueva held out his forearms to show the goosebumps and was genuinely in tears just minutes after his first stint as a national player concluded on Sunday afternoon in the 2015 Jones Cup here.

“I’m proud of myself,” Abueva said after playing all eight of Gilas Pilipinas’ games and playing with all of his heart each and every game. “I play and work so hard. After (playing eight straight) games (in eight days), I’m still good.”

Abueva has become as revelation for the National Five here after showing that he can play multiple positions under the system of head coach Tab Baldwin.

But the biggest part of his game remains to be his heart and the shot of adrenaline he always gives the team every time he is on the floor.

And Baldwin just gave away the identity of one of his players in the Final 12 for the Fiba-Asia in China, though most pundits would say that this is a no-brainer.

“I’ll say it publicly, I love this guy,” Baldwin, seated beside Abueva after a 96-67 win over Chinese Taipei-B, said. “He can play for me any time.”

In the PBA where he is the toughest man in the Alaska roster – and possibly the entire league as well – no one can see a soft side in the former Rookie of the Year known back home as “The Beast.”

But on that interview, one can see the passion in the man, the willingness to lay it all down on the line like a soldier ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for flag and country.

Exactly the type of player Gilas Pilipinas needs, the type of player that typifies the team’s battlecry now known all over the world: PUSO!