Friday afternoon was supposed to be a special day for Mapua University Cardinal Kenneth Magboo. However, a scary crash ended his night early.
With 2.9 seconds left in the first quarter, Magboo figured in an awkward landing during a rebounding skirmish against Lyceum’s frontline which drew silence in the arena.
Among the most worried were his family, who coincidentally were watching him live for the first time this season.
“Galing pa nga kaming Batangas eh. Nag sabi siya sa amin na, ‘Pa, nood naman kayo,'” Kenneth Magboo’s father, Ato Magboo, shared to Tiebreaker Times.
“Sabi ko naman, ‘Sige anak, luluwas kami.'”
He hurt his knee and his right arm, and was eventually brought out of the court in a stretcher. The 20-year-old big man did not return to the contest, as he spent the entire game inside the Mapua dugout.
“Pag-challenge ko, nagkasabitan kami ng paa so na-out balance ako. Yung injury leg ko, pumasok. Yung siko ko, di ko na namalayan anong nangyari,” Magboo recalled after Mapua absorbed a 74-97 loss to Lyceum.
Fortunately, after the game, Magboo was seen walking fine on his own but disclosed that his right arm was heavily wrapped.
“Kaya naman ilakad pero yung arm ko masakit talaga,” said Magboo, who is averaging a career-high 8.0 points and 3.0 rebounds this season.
“Wala pa namang diagnosis pero pupunta na ako ngayon ng hospital para ipa-check up ‘to.”
The younger Magboo expressed his disappointment at being injured in the exact game his family had attended at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
“Sobrang parang nahihiya ako kasi andito sila [pamilya ko] pero kung mahiya naman ako wala rin namang mangyayari pero laban lang, kahit anong mangyari, pero alam kong kaya ko pa,” Mapua’s big man admitted.
“Mahal ko naman kasi ginagawa ko, mahal ko ang basketball kaya diretso lang.”
Still, he is fortunate that his family was right beside him when he was in pain.
By: Danine Cruz
