MONTALBAN – Dalph Panopio finally realized his childhood dream on Friday night when he played in his first-ever game in the PBA.
There was nothing fancy in the debut game of the Fil-Italian guard in the Philippine Cup, but he did get the job done as he scored 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in a 107-87 Blackwater rout of Terrafirma at the Ynares Center.
READ Blackwater looks good in season-opening blowout of Terrafirma
The third overall pick in the last draft can’t help but be elated after pulling off a win in his first game on local soil.
“Ang sarap ng feeling and nanalo pa kami,” said Panopio, who admitted it has been a dream of him and his parents to see him play in Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league one day.
The former Batang Gilas player said he appreciates all the support he’s been getting from his Blackwater teammates and feels he perfectly fits in the system of coach Jeff Cariaso.
“Before I got drafted, all I wanted to be is on a perfect team that is the best fit, and since the first workout that I had before the draft, this is the team for me,” said Panopio.
But while he felt good winning his first game, Panopio stressed there’s no reason for the Bossing to let their guards down.
“We’ve got a lot of things to do, improve on and work on, and definitely we have to do that,” said the highly-touted rookie. “We just can’t be satisfied with this win. We have to keep working and be hungry in the next games.”
The Meralco Bolts are next for the Bossing as the two tangles on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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