It may have taken six long years, but Paul Zamar has made it to the big time
The 31-year-old point guard — one of those many players unfortunately unsigned back in the 2012 Rookie Draft — played his first-ever PBA game on Friday evening in Biñan, Laguna under the Blackwater Elite flag.
Zamar, who came off the bench, played a total of 21 minutes and 35 seconds in his debut, and he quickly made an impression as he pumped 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting — all but one from downtown — along with six rebounds and an assist.
Too bad his debut didn’t go the way he wanted, as the Elite bowed to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel — the very same team that drafted him in 2012 — by a huge margin, 105-91. But that isn’t hampering Zamar’s spirits.
“Enjoy naman,” he reflected. “Pero siyempre, gusto pa rin naming yung end result, panalo. Kailangan pa naming mag-adjust sa bagong system ni coach Bong (Ramos). Ako rin, bagong player lang din ako so nasa adjustment period pa ako.
“Sa akin, dream ko lang as a basketball player na makapaglaro sa PBA. I’m very excited.”
But it seems like adjustments won’t be much of an issue. With the way he played, it was as if he belonged. Add to that the fact that one of those who welcomed him, aside from Blackwater, was Mark Caguioa himself.
“‘Welcome to the PBA.’
“Sabi ko naman, ‘Oo, ang tagal kong hinintay. Almost six years after I got drafted.’ Surreal feeling for me,” recalled Zamar of that moment, which took place in the last two minutes of the first, when he checked in.
Asked if the Ginebra crowd had overwhelmed him in some way, Zamar thought otherwise, saying that his stint with the Mono Vampire BC in the ASEAN Basketball League prepared him for facing hostile crowds.
“Ang maganda sa ABL, ni-prepare ka tulad niyan sa Ginebra, hostile crowd. Parang home and away games ng ABL. Nasanay ka na sa crowd,” he shared. “Nung una nangangapa pa, pero nung nagtuloy-tuloy na yung laro, nakapag-adjust na.”
Zamar is now looking forward to six more games at least with the Elite. But for Friday night in particular, the former University of the East Red Warrior is looking forward to what his dad, Boycie, will say about how he fared in his first game.
“Hindi ko nga alam e kung umabot. Alam ko, kung di man siya nanood ng live, nanonood siya sa TV. Looking forward sa comments niya sa’kin mamaya.”
