ONE of the most popular videos from last weekend’s Sto. Niño Fiesta in Tondo featured Adrian Nocum, the star guard for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, showing off his dance moves.
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Unknown to many, dancing was Nocum’s path to stardom.
He has been a part of the Sto Niño festivities in Tondo, Manila the past 11 years, And he is the first to admit that what he is today, he owes to the blessings from the holy image to which he fervently believes in.
“Una kasi trip-trip lang ang pagsali ko sa Sto Niño Festival, pero eventually naging panata ko na. Ang dami ring biyaya na naibigay sa 'kin,” he said.
Nocum said that growing up in Pacheco in Tondo, a place once notorious for gang violence, basketball was never in his conciousness.
Most of the time, Nocum said he would spend his time joining dancing activities in school and in their barangay and because of this, there never was time to play ball.
“Hindi po ako naglalaro ng basketball nun, puro ako sayaw at aral. Actually, yung sports ko nga po noon badminton pa,” he said.
“I remember one time, sumali pa nga po kami nun sa isang dance competition sa Luneta,” Nocum added while revealing his fondness for the popular 90s dance group The Streetboys.
But he soon got tired of dancing, set it aside for a while, and took up basketball. He soon realized he was also good at it and decided to try out for a spot in the Mapua Cardinals team.
“Nagulat nga po ako kasi marunong pala ko mag-basketball,” said the 26-year old slasher.
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If there is one advantage he got from dancing, Nocum said it was the discipline and the ability to grasp routines.
Nocum explained that dancers usually have the mechanical talent in footwork, which, as it happens, is also very crucial in basketball.
He noted that PBA legends like Johnny Abarrientos, Gary David, Arwind Santos and current stars like Calvin Abueva and Jio Jalalon were all good in dancing.
“Siguro nga po malaking bagay rin yung sumasayaw ka kasi pag dancer ka po need mo gawin ang mahihirap na steps, same way na need mo ang iba’t ibang galaw para maka-create ka ng moves against your defenders,” he said.
Nocum recalled that when he started out at the UDMC team as a varsity, it didn’t take him long to develop his game.
UDMC coach Randy Alcantara was so impressed with his game that he brought him to the Mapua Cardinals, where Alcantara was an assistant of head coach Atoy Co.
“Yun po nung napasok na ko sa basketball, halos ginamit ko yung same discipline at focus sa dancing para kabisaduhin yung iba’t ibang moves,” he said.
Former Mapua deputy and now Abra Solid North Weavers champion mentor Yong Garcia said Nocum did not actually take Mapua by storm. He had the moves but he needed maturity.
“Oo, raw na raw siya nun pero napakabilis ng development. Kasi after siya i-allow nila coach Randy na lumaro sa PBA D-League, sa Marinero Pilipino, nakakuha agad ng kumpyansa, pagabalik n'ya sa Mapua, ibang-iba na siya,” said Garcia.
Nocum became the NCAA Season 98’s second leading scorer, averaging 11.8 points to go with 6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
His confidence growing, Nocum left Mapua with still one season of eligibility left to play for the Go for Gold San Juan Knights in the MPBL, where he was named the 2023 Rookie of the Year.
His exploits continued when he was drafted in the second round at 24th overall by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and is currently averaging an impressive 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1 steal per game.
For somebody like Nocum, the adage is true: “We can't choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.”
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