CHICAGO - To avoid burnout in a year-round league, all PBA players are given time off in between conferences.
Fil-foreigners use that much-needed break to reunite with their loved ones back in their home countries while locals who live outside Manila troop to the provinces to spend time with family.
Although he had a couple of weeks to return to Portland after his PBA debut in the Commissioner's Cup of Season 48, Stephen Holt stayed in the Philippines to train.
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In this Governors' Cup, the reigning Rookie of the Year has arrived at a place where his former team, the Dyip, have never been to and will likely never will - the finals.
The extended season and the added workload don't bother him at all.
"My mentality doesn't change. I'm going to do everything I can when I'm on the court. We made it to the finals so it's time to finish the job," Holt told me via text message.
'I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW THE RAIN HAS STOPPED'
After a gloomy two-conference stint with Terrafirma where the Dyip went 6-15, Holt is suddenly seeing a lot of sunshine. And he is loving it.
"It's just a reminder that hard work and commitment always pays off. I'm grateful it paid off so soon in my first conference with Ginebra soI just got to continue to stay humble and hungry and perform like I know I can."
Playing for coach Tim Cone, an unrepentant perfectionist, can be an obstacle course. But thanks to a high basketball IQ, the NBL veteran is learning Cone's sets on both ends of the floor.
"I know the reads. It's just about understanding what my teammates are going to do in the moment and commit to an action. That's where we had to build our chemistry from the start of the season and it's paying off now."
Already a proven scorer and a willing passer, Holt is also becoming notorious as a defensive clamp. So how much guarding is he doing with Rondae Hollis Jefferon?
"I don't know who will get the first crack at defending RHJ," he said of TNT's swiss army knife-efficient mport. "But it's going to be a combination of me and JB (Justin Brownlee) throughout the series."
READY FOR RHJ.
So far, San Miguel import EJ Enosike was the "toughest match-up for me," said Holt.
"I've mainly been a point/shooting guard in Europe so having to guard the 4 position is new to me. But having to guard (Allen) Durham in spots in the Meralco series prepared me (for RHJ).)"
Just like at Terrafirma, where he rolled with 5-foot-10 Juami Tiongson, Holt now has pint-sized but equally ferocious backcourt tandem in 5-foot-11 RJ Abarrientos. I asked his assessment of both warriors.
"They have no fear," he replied. "Made shot or missed shot they are going to play their game and help the team.
"RJ is more of a true point guard that can also score at a high clip while Juami is known as a scorer who can always facilitate if need be."
Hard to believe, it seemed only like yesterday when Stephen Holt was clad in Terrafirma green jersey and making do with tiny moral victories.
And here he is now, on the cusp of a PBA championship.
Success travels fast when you're willing to keep doing the grunt work.
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