Jeron Teng was as good as advertised
Jeron Teng’s PBA D-League debut has been five years coming. The build-up, the anticipation, and the event itself was unprecedented for the seven-year old league. And it all reached fever pitch on Thursday afternoon at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
“Yung resposibility, ramdam ko,” Jeron Teng said.
Even before the buzzer sounded to signal the start of the game, the AMA faithful filled the arena, screaming at every wave, at every smile, and at every movement Teng made. The energy was electric.
“Feeling ko nasa college pa rin ako. I felt the school spirit sa AMA community. I’m really happy with this team,” admitted the La Sallian, whose UAAP-career high is 38 points .
The two-time UAAP Finals MVP’s first points came from the charity stripe 49 seconds in. Once he heard the swish of the net, Teng knew he belonged.
Teng played at a feverish pace, with a sense of freedom he had not felt since he was in Xavier High School. By the end of the first half, he had already dropped 19 markers.
“That’s what I like about coach Mark, he lets me be me. He lets me play my game,” the 6-foot-2 forward remarked.
“With coach Mark [Herrera], hinahayaan niya ako. He trusts my judgment kaya din nalalabas ko yung game ko.”
By the end of the game, he had tallied a whopping 42 points on 12-of-27 from the field and 12-of-25 from the foul stripe to go along with six rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block. His debut was a smashing success as AMA defeated Batangas, 101-95.
“Di ko in-expect yun eh. Nagulat na lang ako sinabi ni coach Mark [na naka-42 ako],” said Teng, who was close to admitting that he’d had an out-of-body experience in the 39 minutes he played.
“In this game, I was just focused to do my best for the team to help my team win the game.”
And with his first game in the second league down, he looks forward to improving his game in preparation for the big league.
“Super excited ko kasi five years ko sa La Salle, di ako nakapag-D-League pero yung iba, nakapag-D-League na. I used to envy those guys,” the D-League rookie shared.
“It’s another basketball experience and I’m happy to improve.”
