Filipino-Canadian Matthew Wright has finally been given the chance to don the Philippine colors.
The 6’4″ Wright is raring to represent the country, this time with Philippines-Mighty Sports for the upcoming Merlion Cup in Singapore slated on the 21st up to the 25th of this month.
For Wright, representing the Philippines is a huge honor.
“Being a half-Filipino, it’s a big deal for me and my family to represent the Philippines.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m lucky I got chosen,” added the 25-year-old, whose mother hails from Tarlac.
Mighty Sports’ head coach Charles Tiu has nothing but high praises for the sweet-shooting wingman, who was actually invited to play in the Jones Cup but missed out due to an injury.
“He’s a welcome addition. I’d put him as one of the best shooters in the country.
“If it’s just shooting, he can knock down shots for sure. So hopefully he’ll be able to help us out,” said Tiu, who has taken over the coaching reins from coach Bo Perasol.
When asked what can he contribute to the defending Jones Cup champions, Wright says that his ability to create on offense will be his biggest asset, especially with his stroke from beyond the arc — the facet Tiu likes about his game.
“I can come in and offer my outside shooting. [I can be] another scorer. And [I can also bring] poise down the stretch, during pressure[-filled] situations,” said the St. Bonaventure alumnus.
The Fil-Canadian also noted that his exposure to the Asian brand of basketball can also help him do better and contribute more to Mighty Sports.
“I know it’s gonna be a physical game. Up and down, run-and-gun… But at the end of the day, it’s still whoever scores more points.
“Basketball’s the same anyway. Whoever plays better, whoever takes more shots, whoever plays defense better will win the tournament.
“I’m glad I have experience in Asian basketball, so this won’t be new to me,” said the the 2016 ABL Heritage Most Valuable Player
Wright is among the new recruits in the line-up along with Gelo Alolino, Gab and Raph Banal, and Joseph Yeo, among others, and he admits that pressure is present as him and Mighty Sports are gearing up for the cagefest.
“There’s always pressure. But I think the pressure that we put on ourselves is more than the pressure that anyone puts on us,” he added. “It’s still basketball. We should win this tournament, but we’re just worried about how well we practice and prepare for this tournament. After that, everything else will take care of itself.”
The Philippine contingent to the Singaporean tourney have been preparing for just a limited amount of time, but for the Gilas pool member, he remains upbeat and positive over his team’s chances.
“I’m confident with our team. We have very talented guys, we have good size, we have good locals who are ready if they needed to play, so we like our odds,” said Wright, who first played for French club Quimper in 2014 as a pro.
Wright has also laid his plans in the future, assuring and reiterating that he will be playing for flag and country for years to come.
“I’m [still] with Gilas. I will sign with them after this tournament.
“From there, we will go forth. So I’ll be in the Philippines for the next couple of years,” concluded the former 2008 RP Youth U-18 member.
