DECEMBER 2025 was a rough time for Joseph Eriobu in his basketball career.
While competing for flag and country in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Eriobu was traded from playoff contender Magnolia to cellar-dweller Terrafirma back home.
Worse, Eriobu and the national squad failed to land a medal in the men’s 3x3 basketball, the first time Gilas Pilipinas went home without a medal in the biennial meet.
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And all of that came in just merely a span of days.
“Nangyari sa akin ‘yun (trade), wala pang medal, medyo na-down ako noon. Past few months, talagang depressed talaga ako,” said Eriobu, who was a silver medalist with the Gilas 3x3 team in the Cambodia SEA Games in 2023.
Eriobu though realized that there's no point crying over spilled milk, and instead focused on being better at everything - from being a player to being a person.
“I just took it professionally. Ganun talaga ‘yung buhay ng pagiging professional. Just keep going lang. Iniisip ko na just need to be a good dad, a good person, and a better player pagpasok ng 2026,” Eriobu said.
“Naisip ko rin na wala namang tutulong sa akin na iba kundi sarili ko lang. ‘Yun ‘yung naisip ko,” he added.
Eriobu also engaged in other sports activities to keep himself in shape physically and mentally.
“Nag-cross training ako, gumawa ako ng mga ibang bagay na hindi ko naman ginagawa dati like swimming, pickleball, golf, tapos nag-shooting pa ako nung baril. Pampa-destress din. Ang dami ko rin ginawa,” he shared.
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Eriobu’s offseason work paid off early in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup. In Terrafirma’s first game against Titan Ultra, Eriobu scored 17 points, matching his career-high that he set during the 2016-17 Philippine Cup while being a rookie for Mahindra, according to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon.
Eriobu followed it up with a respectable showing of six points, six rebounds, and one steal for the Dyip against Converge last Saturday.
“Sobrang blessed lang kasi ‘yung mga hardwork na ginawa ko nung nakaraang offseason, kahit nung nandoon pa ako sa dating team ko, nailalabas ko ngayon. Sobrang pasasalamat ko sa Taas na ganun ang nangyari,” said Eriobu about his first game of the conference.
More importantly, the Dyip are winning their first two games of the conference for the first time since the 2024 Philippine Cup.
“Sobrang ganda ng samahan,” said Eriobu about the team. “Sabi nga ni coach na one page lang kami dapat. Maganda rin sa team, mixed with veterans and young players. Nakikinig naman sila sa amin (veterans). And we respect each other.”
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