For Luis Pablo, the road to becoming a champion was anything but easy.
Twice, he stood on the brink of glory — only to watch it slip away.
First came NCAA Season 98, when Pablo and La Salle Green Hills fell short in the juniors finals against Titing Manalili and Andy Gemao’s Letran.
Then, in UAAP Season 86, he battled once more, this time with the University of the Philippines, only to endure another heartbreak as De La Salle University reclaimed the crown.
Two finals. Two painful defeats.
For many, that would have been enough to break their spirit. But not for Pablo.
“Hindi ko makakalimutan yung itsura ko nung nag final buzzer last year,” said the 6-foot-7 big man, recalling the emotional low he shared with fellow residency boys Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez, and Kean Baclaan after La Salle fell short in the UAAP Season 87 finals.
“Nung nag-champion ang UP, sabi ko, tatrabahuin ko ‘tong year na ‘to kasi gusto ko mag-champion kahit ano mangyari o gaano kahirap. Pagdadaanan ko yan.
“Ngayon, sobrang proud ko sa sarili ko dahil hindi ako nag-give up. Despite the challenges, despite the doubts, talagang naniwala lang ako kay God. Ngayon, sinuklian Niya at sobrang thankful kami so sobrang thankful ako.”
(C) UAAP Season 88
Fast forward to UAAP Season 88, and the story finally changed.
Back in Green and White, Pablo played a key role in La Salle’s historic run, helping the Archers topple UP in the third chapter of both schools’ dramatic trilogy to reclaim the UAAP Men’s Basketball crown.
This wasn’t just a championship for the 21-year-old—it was redemption. It was a moment he had envisioned ever since transferring back to La Salle in 2024.
“To be honest, yes,” said the NCAA Season 98 MVP. “Na-imagine ko ‘to pero I knew from the start it was gonna be super hard, na kailangan naming mag-work hard buong season at buong year. Sobrang thankful ako kay God. Lahat ito para sa Kanya at para sa glory Niya.
“Pinlano Niya lahat ito para sa amin. Sobrang thankful ako na nag-pay off lahat ng paghihirap namin as a team, sa lahat ng pinagdaanan namin throughout the year. Talagang pinlano Niya ito at pinasarap niya story namin. I offer this to God lang talaga. Siya talaga nagplano nito.”
When Pablo returned to the Green and White, questions surrounded how he would fit into Coach Topex Robinson’s system. As Season 88 unfolded, those doubts faded. Pablo embraced his role, doing the dirty work for La Salle — especially in the finals, where he emerged as a crucial defensive stopper against UP’s Harold Alarcon.
It took years of setbacks and repeated heartbreaks before he finally reached the summit. Fully aware of how difficult it is to get back to this stage, Pablo feels determined to stay grounded as he savors the moment.
“Super thankful, super happy. Di ko ma-describe yung feeling pero we gotta stay humble. Alam ko nag-champion kami pero itong championship na ito para sa glory ni God, hindi para sa amin,” he expressed.
“So yeah, super thankful.”
#WATCH: ALL HARD WORK 🏹
Luis Pablo was glad to see the fruits of his labor pay off in La Salle’s #UAAPSeason88 campaign 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/MTN5MGoQIl
📹 @lorenzodelc /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/qxwIhPtNtj
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 17, 2025
