When CJ Perez was left in limbo during the summer of 2016 after the Ateneo de Manila University decided to expel him, there was one man who picked him up, still believing in him.
“Even when he was in Ateneo we still talk, we still call each other up so fingers-crossed,” shared Lyceum head coach Topex Robinson last June 2, 2016.
“Tinulungan ko pa siya mag-empake from Katipunan to Intramuros,” Robinson quipped.
Robinson was the one who guided a 19-year-old Perez back when they were with San Sebastian. And even if years had passed, the youthful mentor still had not forgotten him.
Thursday afternoon, after the Pirates made history by going on an 18-0 sweep to advance to the school’s first-ever finals, Perez made sure to pay tribute to Robinson.
“Sabi ni coach sa amin before this game na isipin lang namin kung sino ang hero namin,” reflected Perez.
During that pre-game talk, Robinson opened up to them that it is his father James who is his hero, while Perez kept mum on who his was.
The 6-foot-2 utility forward needed to draw on all the inspiration he could get, as 40 minutes were not enough during the much-anticipated second round match-up between the Pirates and the defending champions San Beda Red Lions. As fatigue was starting to set in, Perez was only thinking of his inspiration, his real life hero.
“Actually, siya yung iniisip ko,” shared Perez as Robinson sat beside him. “Minsan nga napapatingin ako sa kanya. Pinapagalitan niya ako, bakit daw ako tumitingin sa kanya, pero yun nga, siya yung iniisip kong hero.”
According to Perez, who feared that he had already been forgotten by the basketball community, he would not have had this chance without Robinson.
“Yung trust kasi na binibigay niya sa akin, sobra, sobrang trust,” an emotional Perez admitted, “Nagi-struggle na ako, nandoon pa rin siya, tinutulungan niya pa rin ako, pinu-push niya pa rin ako kung paano ang gagawin ko.
“Siya talaga ang nagmo-motivate sa akin.”
