JOAQUIN Tovera was not supposed to be the guy, on paper, carrying the weight of a rivalry he barely understood.
At just 18 years old, the 5-foot-10 rookie guard was still new enough to La Salle that he could sit on the dugout before tip-off, seemingly unfazed by the occasion unfolding around him.
He did not know what Ateneo-La Salle meant, but he knew basketball. And on Wednesday night, that was enough.
Tovera scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists, as the Green Archers bested the Blue Eagles in the 100th meeting between the two schools, leaving the storied rivalry perfectly split at 50 wins apiece.
READ: La Salle proves steadier than Ateneo for second straight win
For head coach Topex Robinson, that youthful naivety is not something to correct just yet.
“This is an 18-year-old kid that doesn't even know the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry,” he told reporters in his post-win interview.
“Earlier, he was just chilling on the dugout. He doesn't know the gravity of what he's doing.”
Perhaps, that was exactly what La Salle needed.
While the significance of the milestone meeting, alongside the intensity of the latest rivalry game hung over the night, Tovera played without carrying the history on his shoulders. He trusted his instincts, made his plays, and let his basketball do the talking.
“He's just like that because sometimes he's just a new kid, but that's really him. He knows his basketball and that's what we really like and appreciate about this kid,” he added.
Learning from a cool kuya
The history can wait.
For now, Tovera is simply learning what it means to be a Green Archer, with veteran teammate and close family friend Jacob Cortez beside him as his kuya in the green-and-white locker room.
“It's nice for JT (Tovera) to be with Jacob in his young career. He gets to learn a lot from his kuya, so that's really what's important, and how to pass and move along, you know, the culture that we'll create,” Robinson said.
Cortez has already experienced the demands that come with playing for La Salle and being in the middle of its rivalry with Ateneo.
Now, he has a chance to pass those lessons on to Tovera, even as the two continue developing their chemistry on the floor.
“These two guys are going to be on their final year. We are really making sure that they will have somebody that's going to follow their lead,” their mentor said, referring to Cortez and fellow graduating guard Jcee Macalalag.
“I just remind him all the time that you're going to look back at this and tell yourself how blessed and fortunate you are to be a part of this team and this institution.”
Someday, the rookie might look back and appreciate the magnitude of the night.
But for now, he is doing what he knows best: letting his game speak.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
