FOR the first time in UAAP history, Cabs Cabonilas was hailed as both Season and Finals MVP in the Season 88 boys’ basketball tournament.
And as the tournament concluded with a classic overtime Game 3, the FEU-Diliman stalwart ended his high school career not only as a two-time champion, but also No. 1 in the NBTC's annual rankings of the top 24 under-19 players in the Philippines.
Without a doubt, Cabonilas has come far from his origins in Digos City, Davao del Sur, where basketball was introduced to him by his older cousin Rodel Cabonilas - himself a onetime collegiate prospect and practice player for Alaska.
“Yung una-una ko, ano pa lang ako noon, 13, 14, nag-start ako sa 3x3. Hindi pa ako marunong mag-dribble," he recalled, quite the claim now he's a do-it-all weapon for the Baby Tamaraws who has at least two UAAP teams wooing him for college.
READ: Cabs Cabonilas in no rush to make collegiate commitments
"Sabi ni kuya [Rodel], sumali ako ng clinic kasi may potential daw at matangkad daw. Kaya sumalil ako ng clinic, sa Miller's Basketball, ta's doon ko rin natutunan lahat ng motivation, skills, dribbling, lahat-lahat.”
While kuya Rodel was the first one who urged him to hone his craft, there was another player who saw his potential then pointed him towards the right people - none other than Ginebra lead guard and fellow Digos native Scottie Thompson.
“Doon sa clinic na yun, parang in-invite lang siya tapos pumunta nga si kuya Scottie,” shared Cabonilas, still in awe at how Lady Luck smiled upon him back then.
And so, with Thompson seeing for himself Cabonilas had a future in basketball, the former pulled quite a few strings to set up the latter for success in Manila.
Once Rodel and the rest of the family gave their blessing, Thompson directed the younger Cabonilas to Ginebra assistant coach Olsen Racela, who was concurrently FEU seniors head coach at the time.
“Si kuya Scottie, sinendan ng video si coach Olsen ng mga skills ko. Tapos ayun, sinabihan siguro (ni coach Olsen) si kuya Scottie na, 'Papuntahin mo na yan dito.' Sabi ni kuya Scottie sa'kin, ‘Gusto mo ba mag-Manila?’ Tapos pumayag po ako,” narrated Cabonilas.
“Kasi yun talaga yung pangarap ko, na makapunta rin dito. Kasi dati, nanonood lang ako sa mga gadgets. At ngayon, natupad na rin yung pangarap ko na mapadpad ako dito.”
Indeed, when he finally arrived in Diliman, as his age needed him to go through being a Baby Tamaraw before turning full-fledged Tamaraw, Cabonilas relished the higher level of basketball being taught, and saw it as the shot he was looking for all the way from Davao.
“Ayun, noong nandun na ako sa FEU, tuloy-tuloy na. Doon ko nakita na grabe pala yung sistema, grabe yung ensayo, grabe yung pakiramdam na parang dito ko na makukuha lahat ng aral na gusto ko,” he said,
From 'NSD' to 'Be Brave'
Thompson's mentorship to Cabonilas didn't end there.
The two have kept in touch a fair amount, with the Gin King keeping tabs on the Baby Tam through the latter's first title, first Gilas Pilipinas Youth tour of duty, and now, twin MVP trophies.
“Simula pa noon, kinausap niya lang po ako palagi na maging masipag lang daw ako ta's trabahuin lang daw yung pinapagawa ng coach at magkaroon ng discipline at maging mabait lang po lagi,” said Cabonilas.
With a player to look up to in Thompson, it was easy to see why Cabonilas was driven to improve at such a pace throughout his high school journey.
And after achieving this storybook ending, he has no doubt that the first pro to ever see his potential is nothing but proud.
“Nitong mga huli, hindi na po kami kasing dalas nakakapag-usap, pero alam ko sa sarili ko na nandiyan lang po sya sinusuportahan ako,” he said.
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