GABE Norwood has been a staple of the national team for the better part of the past decade, but he never forgets his first foray.
So much so that the Rain or Shine defender believes that the Philippine team which competed in the 2007 Fiba Asia Championship was "the best national team on paper."
"I was a college kid, finished my last game, tried out for the RP Team and I didn't even walk in my graduation. I came out played in Tokushima with, on paper, probably the best national team ever," he said in his GOAT Sessions as he shared his experiences to select collegiate standouts.
Then just 22, Norwood was one of the young guns in the Chot Reyes-mentored San Miguel-Team Pilipinas, representing the country just months after being an integral part of George Mason's historic Final Four finish in that year's NCAA Tournament.
"Me and Kelly Williams were the young guys," he said of Williams, who was then a rookie after Sta. Lucia selected him first in the 2006 PBA Rookie Draft.
It truly was a stacked team made up of that time's best PBA players.
Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand and Eric Menk of Ginebra, Danny Seigle and Dondon Hontiveros of San Miguel, Jimmy Alapag, Asi Taulava, and Renren Ritualo of Talk 'N Text, Kerby Raymundo of Purefoods, and Mick Pennisi of Red Bull completed the Filipino crew.
So loaded was that team that Purefoods' James Yap, Air21's Ranidel de Ocampo, and Alaska's Tony dela Cruz were left out as reserves.
That stint, Norwood said, helped him adjust to the Philippine basketball setting as he still had to bide his time before he entered the PBA -- where he was selected first in the 2008 rookie class.
"I made the team before I came here in the Philippines. It wasn't until I came here where I actually understood the lifestyle, the way the game was played, and everything behind it," he said.
"It was a transition. Imagine going from that, I was there with the RP Team and then my whole mindset is I go right to the PBA. That was my chance to audition but I had a year in the PBL and played for Hapee."
Unfortunately, despite Team Philippines' strength on paper, it could only finish at ninth place, beating China, 78-76 in the classification round.
Lucky for Norwood, he did win a pair of silver medals in the 2013 and 2015 Fiba Asia Championships and was able to play in two Fiba World Cups, in Spain in 2014 and in China in 2019.
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