LONG after the final buzzer sounded in Meralco’s 108-93 beatdown of Blackwater on Sunday, its import in Marvin Jones was still in his game shorts and compression shirt, doing some extra work in one corner of the Smart-Araneta Coliseum dugouts.
One by one, members of his and the opposing teams alike walked past him and greeted him while he did some mobility work to properly cool down his body after playing nearly 36 minutes and dropping a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds against big-bodied Robert Upshaw III and the Bossing.
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For the 32-year-old and 10-year pro, it’s his way of showing that he’s not taking anything for granted.
“I’m a big believer. I’m a spiritual guy. I respect my blessings, bro,” Jones told SPIN.ph after the game. “Every opportunity [I have] I respect it. I show God every day that I’m thankful for what he’s doing in my life. I push my mind, I push my body and it pays off. It gives me peace, it gives me confidence.
“It’s a routine. It’s a habit. We started doing it in Spain. Last year we won a championship in Spain. I played in the ACB. So it’s just good habits, bro.”
While it might only be a small part of Jones’ post-game routine, it says a lot about his professionalism and how much he cares about showing up in his best form for his squad.
That’s why it’s not surprising to hear his coaches and teammates sing him praises, especially as he fit in seamlessly despite being a late addition to this team having replaced the infamous Ismael Romero days before the conference started.
“Marvin’s been a pro. You see he brings a lot to the table. He’s versatile. He defends the pick and roll, he’s got a jump shot. He seems to know the game. He’s shown that he’s doing well and he makes his teammates better,” Meralco coach Luigi Trillo said.
“If you have a guy that’s dominant and scoring 40 or 50, sometimes the other guys don’t get a feel of the game. He understands the game. He understands ball movement, he understands defense. He’s played overseas a lot. He’s a vet,” he added.
“We are who we are because of Marvin Jones.”
Jones’ numbers of 24.1 points per game, 12.6 boards and 2.3 assists won’t be winning him any ‘Best Import’ accolades anytime soon, but it might just very well be what the Bolts need to get over the hump in import-laden conferences.
At 7-3 with two games remaining, the Bolts are primed to take twice-to-beat advantage entering the quarterfinals, and for Jones – that’s all that matters.
“I’ve got to tip my hat to the management for picking me. They knew my style of play. I’m not a selfish player. I don’t care for stats. I’m the type of person that if my team wins and I had two points, I’d feel the same way as if I had 20 points,” he said.
“My mentality, I play a game, a European style of game, if my teammates are open, I’m gonna pass it to them all the time and on target. This is the philosophy that these guys have. They understand basketball, they play a team game so they brought a team player here.”
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