It has been eight years, but James Yap still vividly remembers the time he went up against the great Kobe Bryant.
The former two-time PBA Most Valuable Player was part of the 16-man all-pro selection that went head-to-head with a Bryant-led all-NBA squad in the Ultimate All-Star Weekend in 2011, held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Arwind Santos, Mark Caguioa, Danny Seigle, Jayson Castro, Marc Pingris, LA Tenorio, Gabe Norwood, Gary David, Larry Fonacier, JC Intal, Sonny Thoss, Alex Cabagnot, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, and Sol Mercado were also on that team.
That all-PBA unit lost, 105-131, but it was the memories of playing versus Bryant and the NBAers that counted.
“Binantayan ko talaga. ‘Yung mindset ko talaga noon, talagang dedepensahan ko siya. Pero magaling talaga,” Yap fondly recalled.
“Naalala ko ganda ng footwork niya. Bilis umikot, lakas ng katawan. Kaya gumagawa ng eighty-one points sa NBA eh.
“Pag-post niya sa ‘kin, natapik ko ‘yung bola na-out of bounds baseline. Siguro kumpiyansa siya nun, pangalawang beses bigla na niya ‘kong binraso. Biglang tumalsik ako. ‘Yun ‘yung mga naalala ko,” the 6-foot-2 guard added.
Yap looks up highly to the five-time NBA champion, and so he was among the millions around the world who felt devastated upon learning the news of Bryant’s tragic death Monday morning (Manila time).
Bryant, 41, along with daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
“Akala ko nga joke lang eh. Nabasa ko sa chat group ng Rain or Shine. Si coach Caloy [Garcia] nag-post. Sabi ko, ‘Totoo ba to?’ Tinignan ko sa Twitter, sa TV, ‘yun nga totoo,” recounted Yap.
“Siyempre nakaka-sad dahil forty-one years old lang tapos kaka-retire niya lang, hindi pa niya nae-enjoy talaga yung pagre-retire niya. ‘Yun pa ‘yung time sana na mage-enjoy siya kasi ‘pag NBA ka, halos wala kang time sa family mo kasi travel ng travel,” he continued as Bryant only retired in 2016.
“Nakaka-sad. Kasama pa niya anak niya. Sobrang nakakalungkot. ‘Di natin akalain na mangyayari pala ‘yung ganun.”
Now Yap, himself a decorated figure in Philippine basketball, feels extremely honored and blessed to have gone up against the man regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game eight years ago.
“Sobrang blessed na nakalaro ko siya,” expressed the 37-year-old.
“Siyempre, once in a lifetime.”
