Thriving in basketball is not always about being the most athletic or the most talented player.
As the timeless cliché says, hardwork beats talent when talent fails to work hard.
In La Salle’s 72-68 win against UP last Wednesday, it was Prince Rivero’s all-around effort that made things possible. The sophomore standout was all over the place as he finished the game with a double-double feat of 18 points and 16 rebounds to go along with three assists and a steal in 37 minutes of action.
In the post game, head coach Juno Sauler called Rivero his best big man. “Prince has been very solid for us. He is our best big man there,” the DLSU mentor said about Rivero. “That’s what he does and what he can bring to the team.” Clearly, the numbers show it too as Rivero is averaging 10.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in just 26.4 minutes of action.
“Like what I said before, I want to take care of the little things kasi those little things are going to be important sooner or later. I just want to think of the process lang and not the result because the result will just come,” La Salle’s Smart Elite ambassador told Tiebreaker Times after emerging from the team’s dugout. “If throughout the process you give your best, whatever is going to be the outcome, I deserve it kasi whatever it is, I worked hard for it.”
Rivero also shared his thoughts on how he manages to thrive in his role as one of the team’s main frontcourt options. Often tasked to play power forward and, in some stretches, an undersized center, Rivero then added that his drills on developing his footwork and agility made it possible for him to battle it out against the bigger and heftier big men in the league.
“Siguro, ‘yung workout ko with Coach Marlon [Celis] and my dad [made it happen],” the 6’3 banger shared. “It shows na kahit paano ‘yung footwork ko and ‘yung speed ko na-improve ko din everyday, each and every game.”
Even in danger of losing out on the last Final Four spot, Rivero wants to keep his team together through the intense energy and effort he displays consistently. With La Salle having an up-and-down ride this season, the best thing he can do is to make his teammates give it their all and hope for the best results.
“Kasi ang laziness nakakahawa. How much more ang energy? So mahahawa din ako sa mga teammates ko,” Rivero cited. “Hopefully, ‘yung hawa ng energy ko sa kanila is positive and not negative.”
With their season on the line this coming Wednesday against the FEU Tamaraws, Rivero hopes that his team will muster the needed efforts for each other in order for them to move forward.
“We’re still alive. One game at a time.”
