Adamson University’s Justine “Tebol” Garcia will be exiting his high school career with a résumé unlike any other.
Only a month after bagging the UAAP Season 86 juniors’ basketball championship and making the Mythical Team, the 5-foot-11 guard from Pampanga steered the Baby Falcons to the final game of the 2024 Smart-NBTC National Finals.
Throughout his five games during the week, Garcia averaged 14 points and put up a game-high 20 markers as he was named to the Division 1 Mythical Five.
“Sobrang thankful ako dahil may NBTC, sobrang sarap dahil iba-iba kalaban, talagang madiin kalaban namin na gusto nilang makapunta sa finals, and hats off doon sa Fil-Am Nation Select, sobrang husay talaga nila,” Garcia said.
As of now, the senior is still undecided on where he will take his talents for college. But his main goal as of now is to finish his requirements in school to graduate and move on to the next level.
Despite his prowess on the hardwood, Garcia shared that basketball only came to him by chance.
He started his athletic career in track and field back in San Fernando.
The Grade 12 guard shared that he was a multi-event athlete, participating in sprints, long jump, triple jump, and the 4×400 relay, translating to his speed and verticality from the oval to the court.
“Sa barangay namin walang basketball, so nag-CLARAA ako ng track and field noong grade five, then nakita ako ng basketball coach ng San Fernando Elementary School. So na-scout niya ako, na-convert niya ako sa basketball, then nag-CLARAA ako ng basketball tapos nag-Palaro ako noon, hanggang tumuloy-tuloy na,” the multi-sport athlete shared.
After starting his secondary education at Pampanga High School, Garcia would eventually transfer to Adamson in the ninth grade and make history for the Baby Falcons years later.
“Bonus na lang champion at Mythical Five, talagang maganda yung exit ko sa career ko sa high school.”
When asked about the possibility of being a dual-athlete, Garcia noted how hard it would have been to also commit to the two-time UAAP Athletics defending champions.
Looking back, even though chance may have played a role in his basketball career, it has certainly worked wonders for his future and for the entirety of Adamson’s basketball program.
