Blessings continue to pour in for Mark Yee.
Just a few months after winning the Finals Most Valuable Player plum in the 2021 Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Cup, Yee signed with Manila Chooks for the 2021 FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit.
It was an surprising opportunity for Yee, since he never expected to represent the country this late in his career.
“Sobrang blessed. Hindi naman natin maitatago na may edad na tayo para maimbitahan tayo sa ganito kalaking team. Malaking pasasalamat talaga sa Chooks-to-Go at kay Boss Ronald (Mascariñas),” said the 39-year-old native of Sagay City, Negros Occidental.
“Talagang, kumbaga, lagi ko lang iniisip na sobrang blessed talaga. Sa pagkakataon na ito, hindi ko naisip na mare-represent ko pa ‘yung bansa natin sa FIBA sa tanda ko na ito.”
Yee is no stranger to 3×3 basketball, though.
Back on September 6, 2019, Yee led Fyr Fyter Bacolod’s magical run in the second leg of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Magiting Cup. Together with Adrian Celada, Mark Dela Cruz, and Louie Medalla, Bacolod eventually took down the top 3×3 teams in the country en route to winning the leg.
It was the only game Yee played in the 3×3 circuit, though. He then returned to Davao Occidental-Cocolife in the MPBL afterward.
“Magandang experience ‘yun. First time ko maglaro ng 3×3. ‘Yung goal lang namin noon is ma-represent ‘yung Bacolod. Pero naging champion pa kami,” he recalled.
“Hindi ko makakalimutan ‘yun.”
Yee will join fellow veteran Chico Lanete and young guns Mac Tallo, Dennis Santos, and Zach Huang in Manila Chooks.
The 6-foot-3 banger knows that they will enter every competition as underdogs. Still, he vows that despite lacking size, they will not back down against the world’s top 3×3 teams in Croatia.
“Magiging tiyuhin na nila ako dito,” he quipped about his role in the team.
“Kahit maliit kami, papakita namin na hindi kami susuko. Dadaanin namin sa sipag at tiyaga ang bawat laro.”
