Lebron Lopez was the last cut of Gilas Pilipinas before it left for Belgrade, Serbia for the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Despite performing against Indonesia in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin made Lopez the tough cut, saying that 6-foot-7 Carl Tamayo and 6-foot-10 Geo Chiu were needed against Serbia, the Dominican Republic, and, hopefully, versus Puerto Rico, Italy, or Senegal.
Moreover, the ongoing pandemic has limited the number of people a delegation can bring.
One of Lopez’s childhood heroes in Calvin Abueva knows the feeling of being the last cut in an OQT as back in 2016, he and LA Tenorio were the ones chopped by Baldwin. Instead, plugged were 6-foot-7 Troy Rosario and 6-foot-2 Ryan Reyes.
“That time, actually, opportunity sa akin ‘yun na nakasama ako sa different country [Italy]. That time siyempre, may aakyat at may bababa. Dalawa kami ni LA na cut,” Abueva recalled to Tiebreaker Times.
“Okay lang kami after nun at nakasuporta pa rin kami sa team.”
Back then, Abueva’s cut was controversial as he was coming off a standout performance in the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup that saw him average 8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.
Photo by FIBA.basketball
Moreover, he had just been named as the 2016 PBA Commissioner Cup’s Best Player of the Conference.
He was part of Gilas’ training camp back then and never missed a practice.
That cut made him reflect on what was lacking in his game.
“That time, nasa gitna pa ako nung season ko nun kaya inisip ko nun, bakit hindi ako nakasama sa final twelve. Ano kaya yung mali ko at bakit hindi ako nakasama?” continued Abueva.
“Kaya mas nagpursige ako nun.”
Abueva eventually became a mainstay in the national team after that, competing in the Asia Cup and the World Cup Qualifiers.
The nine-year pro knows the pain Lopez is feeling right now. This as the young Ateneo Blue Eaglet spend the last three months in a bubble training with the team.
That is why Abueva’s advice to Lopez is to use this cut as a motivation to improve. After all, the 6-foot-5 Lopez is still just 18 years young.
Photo by FIBA.basketball
“Sa akin, advice ko sa kanya ay gawin niyang motivation itong hindi siya nasama sa Final 12. Dream ng lahat na makapaglaro ka ng best basketball para sa Pilipinas,” said Abueva, hoping that it reaches Lopez.
“Hindi pa naman tapos yung lahat e dahil 18 pa lang siya. Gawin niyang motivation ito kung ano ang dapat niya gawin sa laro. Tsaka, nag-uumpisa pa lang naman siya, bata pa lang siya.”
