The image of June Mar Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter listening intently to national team coach Yeng Guiao and scrimmaging with their fellow pool members was a sight to behold.
It was a scenario that many local basketball fans thought was impossible, but fantasy turned into reality on Monday evening at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City when the Philippine Men’s National Basketball Team convened to begin preparations for the upcoming 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
“Siyempre masaya ako na marami kami dito, marami kami sa SMB… Marami kami na maglalaro sa Gilas,” said the soft-spoken Fajardo.
“Excited ako.”
The moment felt a long time coming. Plenty of Filipinos have hoped that the stalwarts of San Miguel will become available for national selection. As a group, the Beermen have dominated the PBA, winning six of the last nine championships – including a three-peat in the Philippine Cup.
And their wish was fulfilled.
“Of course, I’m very much so excited being teammates with June Mar and all my San Miguel teammates,” expressed Cabagnot.
“Pero at the moment we’re gonna put all those club teams aside muna and focus on and being ambassadors of basketball for the Philippines and try to be ambassadors as best we can.”
Christian Standhardinger was the only Beerman who failed to show up to the session because of an upset stomach. In the past few years, though, it was only him and Fajardo who played regularly for Gilas.
“It’s crazy. Christian gets called up for it then us five… It’s kinda cool to see.
“Hopefully, it can help in someway here in the national team. Just because you bring a team doesn’t mean we’re gonna automatically win. It’s just familiar faces which always helps,” said Lassiter.
Perhaps the person who stands most to gain with the multiple Beermen’s inclusion is Santos, who last played for the country in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship. It’s not only his familiarity with the NLEX mentor that could help him integrate into the program, but also with his fellow Beermen.
“Alam na namin ang mga galawan ng bawat isa kahit papano. Pero sabi ko nga hindi lang naging maganda yung result nitong (conference). Hindi kami nakapasok ng semis. Sana dito makabawi kami,” said the FEU alumnus.
“Maganda yung maipakita ng bawat isa at ng lahat para maging maganda yung resulta ng national team natin.”
In theory, Guiao can include Fajardo, Lassiter, Santos, Cabagnot and Standhardinger – as a naturalized player – into the 12-man pool for the upcoming home games against Kazakhstan and Iraq. Furthermore, the fiery mentor can even insert all five Beermen into battle any given time.
Not that the San Miguel cogs would even dare think or push for it to happen.
“That’ll be cool. It would be cool. It means nothing,” noted Cabagnot.
“Haven’t really thought about it but that would be something right? That will be something to see.”
In fact, they’re willing to sacrifice everything just to witness Gilas Pilipinas emerge victorious.
“That would be interesting. We’ve played together so I think that will help but it’s really up to the coach’s decision. I hope that whatever is best for the team, we can do that,” added Lassiter.
“If it happens, it happens. If not, I just want to win.”
Ultimately, just to see these Beermen play for the country is an amazing story in itself.
“Parang nasa PBA lang kami! Ganun na ganun yung istorya.
“Hindi naman natin hinihiling na mangyari yun dahil, alam naman natin, siyempre marami namang deserving sa amin talaga na makapaglaro. Kung mangyayari man yun, siguro bonus na lang yun and magugulat na lang kami kung mangyayari yun,” concluded Santos.
