DIEGO Dario was thrilled to come on board at Blackwater as a rookie last year and serve as back-up to veteran guard Mike Cortez.
For Dario, Cortez was more than just a teammate. He was someone the 5-foot-7 playmaker looked up to growing up.
The former University of the Philippines stalwart idolized Cortez as a player that he made an image in the mold of Cortez while playing an NBA computer game.
“Gumawa ako ng player na kamukhang-kamukha ni Mike Cortez na sobrang galing, naka-high socks, yung mga ganun. Ginawan ko talaga,” he said.
Dario said he followed the career of Cortez from the time he was still playing for De La Salle in college.
“Idol ko na siya noon. Naaalala ko noon nanonood na ako (lagi) ng UAAP, nasa La Salle siya,” he said of the Fil-Am guard, who won back-to-back championships with the Green Archers in 2000 and 2001.
Cortez’s colorful stint at La Salle made the ‘Cool Cat’ the consensus No. 1 overall pick in 2003 by Alaska. He went on and won three championships in the pros and played for six other teams following his stint with the Aces, including including three of the last four seasons of his career with the Elite.
It so happened Dario landed a spot at Blackwater last season after being tabbed by the team in the third round of the 2018 draft, allowing him to finally share the same court with his boyhood idol.
He said it was surreal meeting with and playing alongside Cortez during his first-ever team practice with the Elite.
“Nung naging ka-practice ko na siya, sabi ko ‘eto na yun,’” said Dario.
Although already way past his prime, Dario said Cortez would still flash the brilliance that made him the toast of La Salle from time to time.
“Galing pa rin talaga ni kuya Mike kahit na may edad na siya,” he said. “Ang ganda pa ring bumasa sa depensa. Cool Cat na Cool Cat talaga.”
Dario related his star-struck moment in the latest PBA Kamustahan episode.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
