Japeth Aguilar no longer feels any pain on his left calf, but that does not mean he’s becoming complacent whatsoever in taking extra care of his body.
The Ginebra star has been doing all that he can to prevent the injury he suffered during the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals last season from recurring, since dealing with it is tricky given that he isn’t getting any younger.
“I just want to be extra careful,” the 35-year-old said. “During the preseason, parang na-feel ko, it was kinda coming back, some nagging pain. So I requested a check-up. Really, management lang talaga. Hindi na rin tayo bumabata.”
Aguilar himself admitted that he wasn’t really paying much attention to recovery after activities, but all that changed when he got hurt during their series opener versus NLEX which led to a multiple-game absence.
“It’s actually something new to me,” he said. “Before, after practice, I go home. I don’t stretch, don’t ice. But now really, kailangan ma-manage.”
Added head coach Tim Cone: “We talked about discipline with LA [Tenorio] — it takes a lot of discipline to wanna do that.
“Sometimes, it starts feeling good, you just go, ‘Okay, never mind, I don’t need to do it today.’ Then, boom, it’s back. So it’s an everyday thing that he has to do every time,” the league’s only 24-time champion mentor added.
Being extra careful, though, doesn’t make Aguilar tentative when on the court. In fact, he’s actually been a consistent presence for the Kings.
Just a few days after nailing the game-winner against Blackwater, the 13-year veteran led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds as the Barangay beat Rain or Shine, 90-85, for its second win in the 2022 Philippine Cup.
Then again, the work Aguilar and the staff have to put in every single day to make sure that he stays free from pain continues despite his good showings.
“Really gotta be disciplined,” the one-time Finals MVP said. “Off the court, actually, kailangan ko pa rin talaga alagaan and make sure I’m healthy.
“But ayun nga, na-manage naman. Basta ang point lang, I gotta be ready coming to the game day.”
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