By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Paolo Medina, who once celebrated from the sidelines as a student-manager during Ateneo de Manila University’s UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball championship, has now carved his own legacy.
On Thursday evening, in front of a raucous pro-Ateneo crowd at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box, Areté Ateneo, Medina delivered a stellar performance, defeating De La Salle University’s Kegan Yap in a tense three-game series, 2-1, to claim the inaugural UAAP Esports NBA2K24 championship.
“To be the first champion, I am very blessed. I feel I made a mark that will forever be there. I am grateful for this opportunity,” said Medina, a 22-year-old BS Information Technology Entrepreneurship student.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Medina’s journey to victory began with a strong showing in Game 1, where he used the San Antonio Spurs to defeat Yap’s Chicago Bulls, 77-75. However, Yap bounced back in Game 2, leading his LA Clippers to a 93-89 victory against Medina’s Sacramento Kings, forcing a decisive Game 3.
In the final game, Medina chose the Oklahoma City Thunder and secured a 74-63 win over Yap’s LA Lakers, clinching the championship.
During Game 3, Medina dominated right from the start, establishing a 25-15 lead in the first quarter and never allowing Yap to close the gap. At one point, his lead stretched to as much as 20 points at the start of the fourth quarter, 66-46, before he calmly waited for the final buzzer to seal the win.
Medina’s run to the title was unexpected, as he entered the semifinals as the second seed in Pool A.
His path to the championship included a 2-0 sweep over the University of Santo Tomas’ Daemiel Argame in the semifinals, with scores of 96-92 and 119-81.
Reflecting on his journey, Medina admitted it wasn’t an easy path.
“Not gonna lie, coming into the tournament, I felt very confident. But then, on the first day of the group stage, I lost my game against UST, and then later that same day, I lost against UP. So, it wasn’t a cakewalk. It wasn’t an easy path to the finals,” recalled Medina, who finished the pool phase with a 5-2 record.
Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Nite Alparas expressed immense pride in Medina’s performance throughout the UAAP Esports tournament.
“Honestly, sa six months na nag-training kami, parang two months ago sinabi ko sa kanya na, ‘We are 100-percent ready to compete sa UAAP.’ Nangyari nga, nag-champion kami,” said Alparas.
“Sobrang confident ako kay Paolo kase simula February nakita ko siya. Nakita ko yung growth niya, development niya as a player. Sabi ko, ‘Pagaling ka nang pagaling. Nagi-improve ka, lahat ng sinasabi ko sa’yo naa-absorb mo. Tina-try mo yung new things. Hindi ka takot magkamali,’” he added.
Meanwhile, Yap’s path to the finals involved a hard-fought battle against top seed Erix Delos Reyes of the UST Teletigers in the other semifinals, where he triumphed 2-1 (65-53, 72-83, 88-67).
In Game 1, Yap used the Boston Celtics to defeat Delos Reyes’ LA Lakers, 65-53. Despite Delos Reyes’ strong response in Game 2, tying the series 72-83, Yap emerged victorious in Game 3, securing his spot in the finals and sending Delos Reyes to the bronze medal match against Argame.
In an all-UST bronze medal match, Erix Delos Reyes defeated Daemiel Argame in straight games, 2-0 (72-63, 71-57).
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
