FOR a kid who only heard tales about his father, Cholo Anonuevo sure is making his dad proud.
Even though he grew up without his old man, the passion to play the sport that his late father loved runs through his veins. As they say, it's in the genes.
"My dad was my biggest influence to play the sport. I was a newborn and I didn't meet him. He died before I was old enough to meet him," said Anonuevo.
Although young Cholo never got a chance to pick up the leather with dad Sen, his family made sure he knew him through and through. What they probably didn't expect was the kid picking up the sport as passionately as dad.
"My mom told me stories about him playing. I just saw pictures of him playing and my titos there in the Philippines were telling me stories about him," he said.

Anonuevo's dad never made it to the UAAP during his time in National University, but he was good enough to play in school leagues. He was also a hustler against the dayos in their Manila neighborhood, playing side-by-side with his brothers and cousins.
That's why even though the Anonuevos had to migrate to Dublin, Ireland when he was just two years old, playing any sport other than basketball never felt right. In his heart, even though he was miles away from the Philippines, the urge to dribble that rock always persisted.
"I played a lot of sports when I was in Ireland, and I didn't feel like I was in love with the other sports like I was in love with basketball. I just fell in love with the game," he said.
That early, he already showed both potential and drive as part of a club team in Ireland.
"Basketball in Ireland was good for me. I was in a club team, but the school teams there wasn't that serious. The clubs, though, were really good," the teenager said. "I played in a lot of different countries with the national team, played in Luxembourg, played in Belarus against Poland and Lithuania, so I played a lot over there. There's a lot of competitive players there too. It was fun experience."

But like any other story, it also had its bumps and bruises. And in the case of Anonuevo, it was him being left off the development squad.
"I didn't make the final team, so that really hurt me," he said.
When one door closes, a window opens. And through the stroke of luck, a coach by the name of Nash Racela turned out to be a close family friend.
"My mom told me there were other options, to go to the Philippines and try out for the national team and the schools there. My mom was like a close friend of coach Nash," he recounted.
Going back to the Philippines made a lot of sense for Anonuevo, both personally and professionally.
"We always go there for Christmas with my family because we have reunions there. And when I was there, it's always been fun. And I felt like I already knew that basketball was a big culture there, so I was honored to have a tryout at FEU," he said.
"The time was just right for me because I was really hurt at that time. But I thank FEU as well for opening their doors for me."
Soon enough, Anonuevo was in green-and-gold, back on the hard court as he wowed the fans with his potential at Far Eastern University.
Though he was slow to get his bearings back in his rookie season with the Baby Tamaraws, the 6-foot-4 forward finally showed what he was made of this past UAAP Season 82, posting 9.1 points on 37-percent shooting clip, to go with 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals in 26 minutes of play.
Aside from the impressive numbers, he showcased his impeccable athleticism and wasted no time committing to the FEU Tamaraws program.
But fate had other plans.
Anonuevo was poised to make his debut for the seniors team this year until the global COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench on everyone's plans.
But rather than mope, it only opened another door of opportunity for the 18-year-old as he flew to Cincinnati, Ohio to train with East West Private.
"FEU has been really supportive of me," he said when asked about the decision to leave FEU and train in the US. "When I was there, I was in the dorm and I never knew I would have had the opportunity to go here.
"And once the opportunity came, I grabbed it. I told them about it and they really were open to me to come, and they were so supportive that they wanted me to do this not just for myself, but for everyone there who supported me."
In Ohio, Anonuevo worked alongside fellow Filipino talents in NBA G League-bound Kai Sotto and Fil-Hawaiian center Sage Tolentino, pushing each other to be at their best.
"I wanted to improve every bit of my game," said Anonuevo, who is slowly making his transition to a wing player after largely playing as a power forward with the Baby Tamaraws.
"I think my playmaking right now and my ball handling has improved, because there's a lot of physical players here. And I know in the Philippines, I was the tallest player and I was playing up and all that, but right here, I have to play really low because there's a lot of taller players against me."
The overseas trainings have also been an eye-opener for Anonuevo, who noted: "They taught me to be patient a lot. I was still a bit rusty and a bit off with my passes, but I was playing too fast as well. And I when I played too fast, I didn't make the right decision. So I think they helped me read the floor more and read where my teammates were."
As Anonuevo continue to put in the time and effort to improve his skills, he eventually got noticed. Schools like Tennessee State have and tendered offers. Coach Christopher Thomas of 1 World Domination also praised his relentless attitude.
"Coach CT said that I was a pro, and I felt that really touched me cause I've always worked hard," he said. "I see that it's getting attention now, and that comment from him is really big because all the people who he coached were really big and are now in the league."
Even though his full focus is on improving his game and chasing his basketball dream overseas, Anonuevo never loses sight of his biggest inspiration - his family.
"I know I'm far away from them, but I know that they're always there for me and supporting me. I know they really want to come here and watch me play and support me all the way, but I know I'm doing it for them as well," he said.
More than anything else, Cholo is happy to honor his late dad and make mom proud.
"Me playing, it helped my mom realize that she was happy. She always takes pictures of me and she puts it side-by-side with my dad," Anonuevo said. "That's why I play for my dad and my family."
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