OF all the players who saw major minutes in Game One of the Governors’ Cup PBA Finals between TNT and Barangay Ginebra, it’s safe to say that Ralph Cu and Kim Aurin were the unlikeliest to be in this position.
Starring for Ginebra in the shortlived PBA 3x3 and a couple of preseason games, not many people expected the careers of both players to go past that point especially with the influx of collegiate stars and Fil-American recruits joining the 2023 PBA Draft.
Cu, after all, languished in La Salle’s developmental team before being cut completely in 2022, giving him no recall or recognition at all from ball fans.
Aurin, on the other hand, had a solid career for Perpetual but never really had the name recall that his fellow NCAA peers who were drafted ahead of him had, like Kemark Carino, Louie Sangalang and Enoch Valdez.
Fast forward to a year later, the two players not only have teams, but they’re playing a big role for their respective squads in the PBA Finals.
Aurin played nearly 29 minutes of action off the bench and finished with eight points and three assists for TNT in their 104-88 win over Barangay Ginebra.
READ: Vintage Castro sets tone as TNT overwhelms Ginebra in Game One
The versatile guard made life hell for Ginebra’s guards led by fellow Perpetual alumnus Scottie Thompson, allowing guys like Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac to focus on their offensive exploits.
Cu, on the other hand, was one of the few locals who actually showed up for Ginebra coach Tim Cone in the loss, finishing with 13 points, six assists and five rebounds in roughly 28 minutes of action.
In these two ballers’ stories, there’s a lesson to be learned for those who are currently stuck in the same position that they were in a few years back.
Take Every Advantage
Knowing that they have some catching up to do to improve their draft stock, Cu and Aurin knew they had to do something drastic and that opportunity was given to them when they were recruited to bolster Ginebra’s 3x3 team.
Winning the championship in the 3x3 opened more doors for Cu and Aurin. Both players suited for Ginebra in the PBA On Tour, the league’s preseason tournament and both showed flashes of brilliance.
Cu displayed his ability to stretch the floor as a power forward and make good reads from the perimeter, while Aurin brought his all-around, three-and-d ways to the team.
Soon enough, they got drafted by the same team they won a 3x3 championship for - Cu snagged at No. 23 and Aurin taken as the 34th pick.
The 6-foot-4 Cu’s ability as a forward who can drain threes, put the ball on the floor and pass from the high post couldn’t be more perfect for Cone’s triangle offense and that proved to be his ticket to earning a contract for Ginebra.
Aurin, on the other hand, was left without a team after Ginebra let him go on free agency.
But not for long.
Know Your Role
It was easy for Aurin to lose hope as what seemed to be his biggest shot at making it to the PBA was dashed after he was let go by Ginebra.
But he kept the faith, kept grinding and hoped someone would take a liking to what he brings to the table.
Soon he found that opportunity with TNT, back under coach Jojo Lastimosa and though the champion coach would soon leave the post, it seems like Aurin's found his home.
Cause, if there’s a coach who absolutely loves unheralded big guards who can defend, hit open threes and put the ball on the floor, it’s Lastimosa's replacement in Chot Reyes.
Just look at the players who’ve lasted long with him from Aaron Aban in his earlier TNT days, to Glenn Khobuntin right now.
Aurin’s skill set is quite similar to that, which makes his signing to TNT a no-brainer.
The departure of Mikey Williams, injury woes to RR Pogoy and the advancing age of Jayson Castro gave Aurin the opportunity to get major minutes, and he thrived in it.
With the arrival of Rey Nambatac and Pogoy getting back to full fitness, Aurin’s minutes dwindled, but the fact that he saw nearly 30 minutes in an all-important Game 1 for coach Chot goes to show his importance with this team.
No Overnight Success Story
It’s not the most ideal path but the pair proved that there’s always an opportunity to live out PBA dreams – even for players like Cu who didn’t even sniff an official UAAP game, and Aurin, who always had the skills but not the starpower that other players from bigger schools, and league, might have.
And it wasn’t an opportunity that was given to them in an instant. This is no overnight success story.
They had to take it step by step.
If they didn’t play well in the 3x3 circuit, there’d be little chance they’d be sticking around to play in 5x5 preseason games.
Had they not impressed in those games, they wouldn’t have been drafted, further hitting their already low chances of making it to the league.
But they made it through all of those and here they are, playing pivotal roles for two of the most storied franchises in the league, under two of the best minds the PBA has ever seen.
And as those two ballers’ stories live on in the PBA finals, perhaps the biggest lesson to be learned for those who are currently stuck in the same position they were a few years back might just very well be the most obvious.
Success stories are hinged on failures and disappointments. The only thing that’s keeping it from being just another tale is how the protagonists recreate their lore.
In this case, both Cu and Aurin certainly told it well, and they’re still here to tell their story for further.
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