THE opportunity to play for Ateneo didn’t present itself to Dom Escobar.
It was Escobar who presented himself to Ateneo.
Coach Tab Baldwin unearthed a gem he wouldn’t have had in the first place if Escobar wasn’t tapped along for the ride by his fellow Blue Eagles neophytes in Kymani Ladi and Jaden Lazo.
“I had finished my fourth year at Cal State LA, and I was in the process of figuring out what I wanted to do next. I played with Jaden Lazo at Cal State LA and he had mentioned to me that he was going to come play in the Philippines,” Escobar shared with SPIN.ph after another impressive outing in their rivalry game win over La Salle on Sunday.
READ: Ateneo quells late La Salle uprising to stay spotless in UAAP Season 88
“He then told me that they were still recruiting, so then I sent my film. I had talked to the coaches and everything, they really liked how I played, and it happened really fast.”
The burly-built blue-and-white guard carries more than just a single nationality in his blood. His dad Eduardo is a Mexican, Italian, and Ilocano altogether, while his mom Vanessa is a Mexican-Filipino.
As such, the 6-foot-5 talent hailing from Indio, California grabbed the first ticket to explore his Filipino roots upon being introduced firsthand to the Ateneo way.
“They had me on a visit here. I saw what they had going on here, and I really like the Philippines. I really wanted to experience my bloodline and my heritage because no one from my family has really came over here,” he said.
“I took this opportunity, and I took the leap, and so far it's been working out really well for me.”
The catch in it all? Basketball wasn’t even his thing.
He once followed his brother Edward’s trail in track and field, particularly in the 100-meter dash and high jump, before the pandemic denied him a proper shot of making a career in the world of athletics.
The way he put it, “I take basketball very seriously, so I’ll let my brother have that.”
Dom keeps Tab(s)
Switching gears from a life in the U.S. to a drastic shift to the Philippines wasn’t only career-defining - it was also life-altering.
The clincher? No other than Ateneo’s decorated maestro.
“The coach is the leader of our team, right? That was one of the main points as to why I came over here. Just based off his resume and his experience, I knew that he was going to lead me into the right way and the right direction," Escobar said, of course in awe of the four-time collegiate champion coach just like all of us.
“We all trust in him and believe in him, and so far, it's been working really well.”
Escobar had himself a hot and flashy start to life in Katipunan. So what else can be expected of him?
“Just to play, play very hard, you know, play my role, and I want to make all of Ateneo proud,” he vowed.
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