LONG after almost all Magnolia players had left the San Miguel Foods sports facility in Pasig after one practice late last May, Jerrick Ahanmisi was still on his seat, icing his knees after doing some extra shooting.
Mostly stuck on the bench in his first two years in the PBA, the 25-year-old shooting guard has been making sure to stay on the grind behind the scenes as he waits patiently for his time to come.
“With hard work,” Ahanmisi said when asked how he balances being patient and wanting to play. “Playing on the basketball court is just a small part of something you can do every day. All of the tiny things that add up to you playing on the court is what makes a bigger difference than you playing five or thirty minutes in a game.
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“So just always staying ready, making sure that I’m always getting my shots up before or after practice, or making sure I was in the weight room before and after practice as well, or even on days off where most people are just sitting around or just relaxing and recovering,” he added.
“I’m always trying to do something for my body – ice baths, icing my knees, or getting some more shots up, going to the weight room. So that’s how you kind of balance things out,” he continued. “It’s hard for players, especially when you don’t know when you’re going to play. So that’s one thing that can keep your mind strong; just continue every day as if it’s new, like something good's going to happen today. Just keep working.”
The 6-foot-1 gunner out of Adamson has shown flashes of his potential since the Hotshots made the 2018 UAAP Mythical Team member their first-round pick at 10th overall in the 2020 rookie draft. But playing behind Hotshots star Paul Lee has prevented him from breaking out.
Still, Ahanmisi has cherished his point of view from the bench, the latest during the last Governors’ Cup where he contributed 2.2 points, 0.7 treys on 32% shooting, 0.3 rebound, 0.2 assist, and 0.1 steal in just 6.9 minutes in nine games in the regular season.
“You learn things more,” Ahanmisi said. “The longer that you be in the same position, and the longer you play with the top players in the PBA like Mark (Barroca), Paul, Jio (Jalalon), Calvin (Abueva), you learn so much just by watching and observing, especially when the game’s going on and you’re just on the side, there’s a lot going on.
“I’ve just learned a lot. I’ve been trying to be a sponge, trying to learn from everybody. I’m lovin’ it more every day,” he added.
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And what’s his biggest lesson?
“Being patient for when you’re time’s going to come,” the Filipino-Nigerian cager said. “Being patient also just cheering for your teammates, making sure that they’re getting better at the same. Being patient in my work. Just taking every day as if it’s like a new day every time, like it’s your last day or something like that.”
“I’ve always tried to keep my mind strong in a way to make sure that there isn’t any negative thing that’s going on in my mind. Always positive, always thinking about the good things that are going to come out of the things I’m working on. I think the most powerful thing that I’ve learned so far is patience with myself and basketball.”
Underlining his status as a key member of the present and future, Magnolia rewarded Ahanmisi with a two-year contract extension a few months ago as he enters his third year in the pros.
And his hard work and patience have so far paid off in the preseason. With coach Chito Victolero giving him the green light, Ahanmisi has emerged as the Hotshots’ go-to guy in the PBA On Tour, averaging a team-high 13.7 points, built around 2.9 triples on 51-percent shooting overall, 2.3 assists, 1.9 boards, and one steal in 23.3 minutes over 11 games.
He can only hope to keep getting more of this kind of opportunity when the real games begin.
“I hope I’m stepping in the right direction with him,” Ahanmisi said. “But as for me, I just got to make sure I’m always listening to coach, make sure I’m always listening to my teammates, the vets, make sure I’m not only making myself better, but making my teammates better, and always making sure that I’m working hard every day to improve my game, my personal life, and everything.”
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