CHICAGO - Having played basketball since he was only eight years young, Mikey Williams had always dreamed of his name being called in the draft of a prestigious professional league.
But when his date with destiny finally arrives tomorrow, the moment will be bittersweet.
His mom, Angelica Baldo of Naga City, won't be with him to join the celebration. At the tender age of 50, she succumbed to colon cancer in 2016.
"She was my No. 1 fan, the loudest cheerleader who pushed and supported me, attending as many of my games as I can remember," Mikey said during a telephone interview, his voice quaking with sadness.
But living never stops. And so Mikey marches on.
"I now have an angel up there in the heavens looking over me. I'll do my best to make her proud."
With the fourth pick in the 2021 PBA draft, TNT, which moved assets to acquire his rights, is expected to take Williams, who had a stellar NCAA Division 1 college career.
He had drawn interest from NLEX and RoS and his management team figured he'd be grabbed somewhere between third and sixth.
Through some friends in the Philippines, he was made aware of Tropang Giga's plans as soon as the news broke.
Obviously, he was flattered.
But even if he were to go in the second round, Mikey assured he would work just as hard. He feels blessed to be "a part of a very prominent league."
In case you're wondering, he knows exactly who Chot Reyes is, the TNT head coach who is a delightful, and sometimes acerbic, mix of brilliant tactician and unforgiving taskmaster.
"I've heard of him and his reputation. I'm looking forward to playing for him," says Mikey.
AND SO THIS JOURNEY, THIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH BASKETBALL CONTINUES.
This time, though, the pay and the perks will be better.
In his few seasons with the G League, Williams pocketed around $1,100 every two weeks. As a "heritage import" for the Saigon Heat In the ABL, he banked around $4,000 a month.
He wouldn't divulge how much he was paid at MPBL but he offered that Senator Manny Pacquiao "really took good care of me."
Mikey is about to get a well-deserved royal payday.
In the PBA, the rookie max is P200,000 a month excluding bonuses. And given the unrestrained generosity of MVP, the incentives are certain to be abundantly juicy.
Mikey hopes to fly to the Philippines from his nest in North Hollywood, California, within days after the draft. He is keeping himself busy, working out constantly and fine-tuning his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame.
Once he settles in his mother's home country, he intends to reside at Bonifacio Global City where he is thinking of scoring a loft or a nice condo with a view.
And no, he won't mess driving around in the traffic maze that we call roads and highways.
"The rules are a little different," he says diplomatically before exploding in a teasing burst of laughter.
THE GRIND. He'd been through so much. The death of his mom, the travel, the long flights across faraway oceans, the lonely hotel rooms, the varying foods, the changing cultures, and the longing for home.
The fact that it took five years for him to secure his documents to be eligible to play in the PBA only added to the misery.
But it's all in the past now. Slowly forgotten and cleansed by overwhelming happiness.
He still misses his mom but he has a solid support system - his dad Kurtiz, brother JR and sister Kaela - that will carry him through some of those forlorn days when reverie drags melancholy.
Mikey isn't giving up on the NBA dream just yet. He is, after all, only 29. Leaking with prime years and toughened by experience.
For now though, he is 'locked in" to TnT, or whichever team snags him.
"I will give it my all. Be the best professional I can be," he swears.
Watch out, PBA.
POSTSCRIPT. Mikey's parents were college sweethearts who met at Pasadena College in the mid 80s. His dad is an All-American stud who ran track and played football.
Mikey speaks very little Filipino but he loves chicken adobo and caldereta, delicacies that his grandma used to whip.
His favorite snack?
Pan de sal, the breakfast of champions.
Unfortunately for the girls, Mikey is happily taken.
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