Topex Robinson shrugged off the volatile reactions he received during De La Salle University’s 77-66 victory over fellow championship contender University of the Philippines in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
Robinson was one of the central figures in the ‘spitgate’ incident during both schools’ first-round clash on October 6.
And he provoked strong emotions every time his face appeared on the SMART Araneta Coliseum’s big screen during La Salle’s second-round clash with UP.
Despite being the focal point of the game, Robinson insisted that his focus was entirely on what was happening on the court, oblivious to the outside reactions.
“I wasn’t really paying attention to that because I don’t have control of those things and ang role namin is to be the best that we could be,” Robinson said.
“Those things don’t really bother me. I’ve been in the game for 30 years now. I’ve seen worse. I’ve experienced worse. This thing doesn’t really bother me anymore.”
After the game, Robinson led La Salle in the customary handshake with UP.
However, videos circulating on social media showed that some from the Fighting Maroons camp ignored his handshake.
For Robinson, though, it was about rising above the situation rather than assuming the reason behind the snub.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“I don’t really care about it,” he said.
“It’s none of my business if they don’t want to. It doesn’t make me a lesser person. It doesn’t really bother me. I mean, I love the competition, and I love the sportsmanship of the game. It doesn’t really bother me. I don’t really care about it.”
Competing in the UAAP requires special character, especially with the pressure and online vitriol that players may face. That’s why Robinson always reminds his players to enjoy the moment because time moves quickly.
He himself leads by example, ensuring that he doesn’t let the atmosphere affect him, even when things get tense.
“We always try to make sure that we soak in the moment, enjoying the opportunity to play in this competition with these loud fans. Yun yung palagi naming ni-re-remind: don’t let the pressure of the game stop you from enjoying this opportunity,” Robinson said.
“This will never come back. Even if things weren’t falling our way kanina in the first half, we just tried to remind everybody to just be in the moment because these things will never happen again.”
