Juneric Baloria was one of the better scorers in the amateur ranks.
But in the PBA, the undersized shooting guard believes he needs to play big and prove he belongs in the league. Against Meralco, Baloria had a breakout game, scoring 14 points and showed toughness against his more experienced counterparts.
“Tinatakot nila ako,” Baloria told Tiebreaker Times. “Rookie kasi ako eh. Pero di ko na lang sila iniisip. Hindi ko na rin pinakikinggan. Iniisip ko na lang parang NCAA lang ito.”
According to Baloria, he realized the big difference between the NCAA and the PBA.
“Balyahan ang laro dito sa PBA. Sa NCAA kasi maliliit kami,” he added. “Pero kung matatakot ka, walang mangyayari sa career mo. Kailangan huwag ka ma-intimidate.”
For Baloria, being given this opportunity to prove his worth is something he’s very thankful for. During the Rookie Draft, Baloria felt bad he was picked in the latter stage of the draft, but learned to value the opportunity given to him, particularly by NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez.
“Kailangan hindi siya mapahiya kasi kinuha niya ako eh,” said Baloria of Fernandez.
