Rob Labagala was taken by surprise on Thursday afternoon when he received a direct message on his Instagram account.
It was from Australia star Mitch Creek, who wanted to train later in the evening.
Creek was originally scheduled to be in Guam that day, as the Boomers are facing Gilas Pilipinas Men in a FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers match.
However, due to visa issues, he decided to head straight to the Philippines three days early for their upcoming game at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to close out Window 2 of the qualifiers.
“Na-surprise ako sa text niya, kailangan kong i-verify pa kung siya talaga ‘yun,” quipped Labagala, a former assistant coach to Josh Reyes with Gilas Pilipinas Boys.
“Nung na-verify ko na siya nga yung nag-message, nag-quick watch kaagad ako ng games niya para maintindihan kung paano yung game niya at kung ano yung role niya sa Australia.”
(C) FIBA.basketball
The two were initially supposed to train at Met Park Sports Center in Pasay City. But Labagala was still tied up in a game that went beyond the time Creek had reserved.
He instead asked if Creek could head to Lumera Basketball Gym in Sampaloc, Manila.
Despite being an ex-NBA player with stints in Brooklyn and Minnesota, Creek immediately logged into his Grab app and all 6-foot-6 of him rode a Move It motorcycle to the venue, much to Labagala’s surprise.
“Walang arte si Mitch, totoong pro,” said Labagala.
The training session lasted one and a half hours, and some of Labagala’s pupils at Passion Sports were able to watch.
“I let some of my players watch how he works,” shared Labagala.
“Sabi ko, makita niyo ang mentality ng pro — gagawin lahat para makapag-practice, makapag-prepare. Never relax, focus, and go all out even sa drills.”
Work didn’t end for Creek after the session. He immediately tuned in to watch the Gilas-Tall Blacks game to scout the Filipino dribblers. Labagala and Creek are scheduled for another session on Friday evening.
Despite the history between Gilas and the Boomers, Labagala’s gesture and openness highlighted the warmth and hospitality Filipinos are known for.
