Stepheson nearing top shape: ‘It’s all coming back’

Meralco import Alex Stepheson. PBA IMAGES

It may be scorching at this time in the Philippines, Meralco import Alex Stepheson has taken a liking to the country’s hot weather as he said that it has helped him get into his desired shape.

“I lost a little weight because of the running and also the humidity and heat, so each game I felt a little better, so today, I felt pretty good,” he said.

Admittedly not in peak form when he first landed here, the hulking reinforcement has slowly gotten into the shape he had envisioned for himself in his two weeks in the Philippines.

READ: Bolts staying patient with Stepheson

And after three games, which all ended in wins for the Bolts, Stepheson is looking to further shed weight to get to his tip-top form. After all, it was what coach Norman Black expected of him when the Grand Slam-winning mentor first saw him in the NBA D-League.

“Coach Norman told me that when he first saw me in the D-League Showcase, he liked what he saw. So he told me to try to do what I was doing there out here and I should be good,” he said.

On Friday, Stepheson had his best game to date as he tallied 20 points and 27 rebounds in Meralco’s 94-89 win over TNT.

READ: Stepheson’s presence invigorates Bolts

The 29-year-old import, though, downplayed his stellar showing and said that he just did what was asked of him by the coaching staff, something which he is eyeing to sustain as the conference goes.

“I’m just going to keep doing my job, rebounding, playing strong inside, try to make as many free throws as I can, try to finish off the shots I can around the basket, and hopefully some of those dunks start to go in. Other than that, I know my job and I’m trying to do it the best way I can,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to eat right, sleep right, keep working on improving, and get where I should be to help my team win.”

Stepheson, though, shared that he still isn’t satisfied with his performance as he inches closer to his desired shape.

“I definitely can still improve my conditioning. There are a lot of shots around the basket that I’m still not quite finishing like I want to, and just overall presence – I have moments where I kind of maybe disappear for a second or two, but it’s all coming back,” he said. “I was out for two months, so it’s a process, but I’m getting there.”