BY Gwen Bergado
WHEN the name LeBron James is mentioned, basketball fans will think about the NBA's all-time leading scorer who dons the purple and yellow of the Los Angeles Lakers.
And when the surname Daep is uttered, a five-time NCAA champion with San Sebastian and ex-pro with Purefoods comes to mind for longtime followers of Philippine basketball.
So what happens when those are combined? What about Lebron Jhames Daep?
Well, sooner than later, the 6-foot-7 frontrunner for NCAA Season 100 juniors MVP may very well be a household name.
“Nilagyan na lang ng 'H' para maiba naman,” Daep answered when asked by SPIN.ph about the slight difference of his name with that of 'King James.'
Of course, the Perpetual superstar was named after the NBA's four-time champion and four-time MVP by his father Rommel, the aforementioned onetime Golden Stag and Tender Juicy Hotdog.
And it was also the elder Daep whom Lebron Jhames credits as the origin story of his basketball career.
READ: Like former Stags teammates Pua, Topex, Adducul, Rommel Daep now a full-fledged coach in Bicol
“Wala naman pong pressure para sa akin kasi hindi naman po niya ako pinilit. Ako, ginusto ko 'to na maglaro para sa sarili ko,” he said, recalling his start in the sport back in Legazpi City, Albay.
“Bigla ko na lang na-discover na, 'Uy, ang ganda pala nitong basketball. Gusto ‘kong maging magaling dito, gusto kong mag-improve,'” he continued.
Lebron Jhames Daep, on his own terms
Fast forward to now, and not only is the second-generation Daep set to hoist the MVP trophy, he was also hailed as the second-ranked under-19 player in the NBTC's annual list.
READ: Kieffer Alas, Lebron Jhames Daep captain 2025 NBTC All-Star teams
“Siyempre masaya since binibigay ko yung best ko sa lahat,” he said after jumping nine spots from 11th last year to just behind UAAP boys' basketball MVP Kieffer Alas.
And even better, the 18 year old and the rest of the Jr. Altas are a win away from bringing home a historic championship to Las Pinas.
“Pinaghihirapan talaga namin ngayon. Binibigay namin ‘yung best namin,” he said, with the wine-and-gold leading La Salle Green Hills, 1-0, in the best-of three title series.
In fact, Daep is so determined to lead Perpetual to its first-ever basketball crown - whether in the seniors or juniors - that he and teammate Jan Roluna had to beg off from the NBTC All-Star Game to stay single-minded in their title run.
As he put it, “Masyado akong focused sa goal namin, which is mag-champion.”
And once it's mission accomplished, Lebron Jhames Daep will truly, madly, deeply claim his name - or names, for that matter - as his very own.
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