FOR anyone who’s been a Lasallian at any capacity, the university’s three core values are second nature — spirit of faith, zeal for service, and communion in mission.
The first one, in particular, means just a bit more for champion Green Archer Mike Phillips.
READ: KQ keeps improving thanks to Topex's embrace, other coaches' advice
A man of faith off the court, Phillips made it a point to be one on it for La Salle — win or lose, no matter what the scoreboard reads.
But in what has been a 3-0 start close to perfection for the defending champions, it’s been the 6-foot-8 big man’s heart beating for God that has unleashed his A-Game.
The light in his darkest days
When life took an abrupt pause during the pandemic, a newfound faith flourished for Phillips. And it’s one he held on to since as he rediscovered his purpose as an athlete and a child of God.
“For me, it started in the pandemic. I remember it clear as day. God told me, He's like, I'm going to give you a platform. I'm going to give you a platform and it's for you to spread My glory,” Phillips told SPIN.ph.
“Before, I really struggled because I kind of took that and I kind of let it get to my head that ‘wow, I have these talents and I'm playing.’”
In what has been a humbling journey thus far amid all the accolades and successes, Phillips' biggest goal now is to leave a legacy of faith upon surviving the ‘darkest of places’ of his life.
“I learned through my faith that it's a very long journey. I'm still going through it, and how important it is to have God at the center of your life. It really keeps me humble because he gave me these talents. He gave me these teammates as a source of inspiration for others,” Phillips said.
“He brought me very down to the most darkest of places. It's in Psalms 18, that's kind of my story. But my God, he came down and saved me. And so I'm forever grateful to him.”
Fuel to Big Mike’s fire
One thing Phillips’ faith changed about him is his on-court demeanor under the brightest lights and in the toughest moments.
From being trapped in his own emotions, he’d now learn to keep his temper in check to be a bona fide example of what it means to not only profess his faith but also to live by it.
“When we have these big games, sometimes our emotions get the best of us, especially when we're heated and it's very physical. And in those moments where I could do a choice, I could let my anger consume me like I had in the past and when I would make mistakes and make actions that I wasn't proud of,” he said.
“But just really in the past year, I’ve been keeping my emotions in check because when I see little kids come up to me and I don't want them to see that ‘wow, he's a man of faith pero ganito pala siya.’
“Anger, pride, all those things are very, very poisonous, especially for us athletes playing at a level like the UAAP with so many people looking at us.”
He’d go on to recall how he’d call out to God in the direst on-court moments like down-the-wire fourth quarter and overtime stretches where his body would cramp up and endure all kinds of cuts and bruises.
But moments like these, as Big Mike would say, paved the way for some of his ‘greatest moments on the court where it’s very loud.’
“You know, when I have cuts, bruises, when I’m broken, I just look to him and I get my strength from him and we get our strength," he shared.
“He always brings me. He always answers. Even though if it's not how I thought it was in my timing, God's timing is always perfect.”
‘God did’
Every time he’d set foot on the court, Phillips dons a pair of arm coverings with the words ‘God did.’
It was one he first thought of during their 2023 title run and made sure to hold onto it the rest of the way as it helps him overcome his ‘biggest enemy’: pride.
“For me, it's just wearing faith. It's being one of God's children and I'm playing for for him,” Phillips shared.
“It's amazing to feel it when I when I see myself in the monitor, because for me, one of my biggest struggles is with my pride. This is a reminder to us that God was there in the highest and God's there in the lowest.”
Inspiring other people to tread a similar trail of faith is what Big Mike considers to be the most important reward he’s had yet after years of reluctance in being vocal on his devotion to God.
“I just really get emotional when I see my younger teammates and they kind of see it. And really, the biggest thing I get emotional about is when people come up to me or text me on Instagram and say, ‘I really love how vocal you are about your faith and it really inspired me,’” an emotional Phillips said.
“It really makes me teary and emotional because I was just like them. I was really scared to share my faith and I was really shy and ashamed. But God really put me here for a reason and I'm just trying my best to do His work.”
"I try to live out my faith because I know I want my legacy to be when people see me, they see God. It's not my talent, it's not my strength. It's all through God."
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.
