Among the reinforcements in the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Charles Rhodes was a mystery. But during the San Miguel Beermen’s debut last Sunday, he made it known who and what Charles Rhodes is all about.
The 31-year-old American made his presence felt in the Beermen’s streak-busting 99-92 win over the Meralco Bolts, posting a double-double of 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 12 rebounds in 33 minutes.
“It feels great,” said the nine-year globetrotter, who had last played with Ulsan Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League, regarding his debut.
“I give my hundred percent every time in practice and on the court.
“Unfortunately, I had kind of like a bad game. I don’t normally miss free throws,” Rhodes lamented, despite having shot a decent 8-of-13 from the charity stripe.
But aside from his offensive showcase, Rhodes’ highlights were his blocks in the final frame, when the Beermen were mounting a comeback. He finished with two blocks, and Rhodes shared that defense is his main weapon.
“That was my main focus, to focus on my defense, and make sure we get these guys their first loss,” said the native of Galveston, Texas. “That was the whole motivation.
“I knew everything else was going to fall in place being with this team with great players.”
And after Sunday’s outing, he vowed that a better Charles Rhodes will come out in the Beermen’s next games.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to have more blocks,” claimed Rhodes.
“I think next game, I’m going to have a much better game than I did tonight.”