THEY say Rome wasn’t built in a day. But it didn’t take long for the “Great Wall of Chua” to rise.
Justin Chua admitted being surprised himself when he suddenly added shot-blocking to his arsenal for Phoenix in the 2020 PBA bubble season that marked his breakout year in the PBA.
Before his second season with the Fuel Masters, the southpaw slotman had never averaged over 0.4 block a game.
But he showed flashes when he increased it to 0.7 in his sixth year in the league in 2019, before earning his tag as the Top Bubble D-Fender a year later when he normed a league-leading 1.6 blocks on top of a career-high 11.6 points in the Angeles, Pampanga conclave.
Justin Chua on becoming Top Bubble D-Fender
“Baka tsamba lang talaga yung nasa bubble,” Chua said with a chuckle on SPIN Zoom In.
It all started in a healthy rivalry within the team with then teammate Dave Marcelo as they were running first and second among the tournament leaders in blocks at one point as the anchors of the Fuel Masters’ defense.
“Parang it came so natural na maghabol ako ng blocks talaga more than anything, kasi friendly competition namin,” Chua recalled. “So parang every time I would get a block, tinuturo ko si Dave. Pag naka-block siya, tinuturo din niya ako. It was a fun experience to have.”
“Hindi ko rin alam paano ako nakaka-block, kasi hindi naman ako makatalon eh,” the 6-foot-6 center added. “Baka timing lang talaga or binibigay lang ni Lord yung bola sa kamay ko.”

Chua feels there’s also a surprise element to attackers who didn’t expect an aerial challenge from him.
“Siguro isang factor din yung hindi nila ine-expect na, ‘Uy, si Jus, iba-block ako. Hindi naman shot-blocker yan eh.’ Pwedeng hindi sila mag-go hard sa drive,” he said with a smile.
But luck and surprise have little to do with his progress from being the 10th overall pick in the 2013 Draft to becoming one of the league’s established big men.
“Yun naman puhunan ko talaga eh: hard work,” Chua said. “I’m not as athletic as other people. I’m not as skilled as other people. But I know I do my work. And I focus on the things na alam kong makakatulong sa’kin. Naging fruitful naman siya."
“I waited seven years of my career before I broke out,” he added. “It was really all hard work, patience, and also the people around me na hindi ako bine-BI (bad influence) or hindi ako sinasabihan na, ‘Lipat ka na,’ ‘Give up mo na yan.’ ‘Ibang team ka na lang or ibang liga na lang. Mas makakalaro ka.’”
“I’m very grateful na wala akong friends na ganun,” continued the big man who now plies his trade at NLEX. “They were like, ‘Do your best, trabaho ka lang, and in time, it’ll come naman.’”
And the wait was definitely worth it.
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