SOME players are born with a head start -- sons of legends, heirs to greatness. Others shine early, marked as prodigies, their promise catalogued long before they show their full potential. Kevin Quiambao was none of these.
He wasn’t a big name in high school, he was a solid role player but never the star. But, lo and behold, this once-overlooked high school player took the collegiate scene by storm once he stepped into the bright lights of the UAAP.
He went to La Salle and immediately transformed himself into the school's go-to guy as the Green Archers, under his leadership, won a championship while Quiambao catapulted himself into the national consciousness by taking MVP honors in both season and finals.
The 6-5 Quiambao, 24, won another MVP the next season as he carried La Salle to the finals again but was thwarted in his back-to-back bid by a resurgent University of the Philippines team.
Already a champion and a two-time MVP, ‘KQ’ knew he had to take it up a notch.
That’s why in the offseason of his first stint in the Korean Basketball League with the Goyang Skygunners, Quiambao is bet on himself and turned his attention to achieving the dream of every Filipino who’s ever picked up a basketball: play in the NBA.
That isn’t just empty confidence. His bold decision is backed by long days in the gym, his perseverance and the drive to get better day-by-day.
And it’s only fitting that flying with him to chase his NBA dreams is Miguel Aytona, his former strength and conditioning coach with La Salle – and the man who witnessed Quiambo’s perseverance into becoming a truly generational athlete.
“When we started working with the team, Kevin was the last to join us. He said he already had his own trainer. But a few months into the offseason, when he realized naiiwan na siya ng teammates niya, he switched,” Aytona told SPIN.ph.
“Ayan, ayaw niya mapag-iwanan. That’s Kevin in a nutshell,” he added.
KQ's obsessive... in a good way
Aytona shares how Quiambao’s dedication knows no distance as he was often the first man in Aytona's gym in Mandaluyong - despite living in Muntinlupa. It also certainly knows no time as he spends more hours there than he’s required.
“First day niya sakin, siya nag-open ng gym ko. Wala pang staff, but he was there from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. every day. And I couldn’t control his work ethic. I had to microdose his workouts to make them effective, kasi he shows up every single day. It was more than what I asked of him,” Aytona said.
Quiambao's sacrifice rubbed off on his teammates and nearly all put in extra work to keep fit.
“His teammates, sila Francis Escandor pa at the time, saw his transformation, and they started coming with him for extra sessions. That culture caught on and rubbed off on everyone else,” Aytona shared.
The rest was history as La Salle went to win the championship and Quiambao, the two MVPs.
If Aytona were to describe Quiambao’s work ethic in simple terms, he’d call it “obsessed with details.”
“Kevin is very involved,” he said. “He computes things on his own. He follows the program but also adds what he thinks is relevant. For example, when his nutritionist tells him to take something at 4:00 p.m., it’s on the dot with him. No delays. No excuses.”
Now, with Quiambao aiming for the big stage in America, Aytona hopes that same discipline will help turn his NBA dream into reality. And maybe, just maybe, become the first full-blooded Filipino to play in the NBA.
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