WHILE boxers on the ropes may find refuge in being "saved by the bell," many of the most iconic PBA players have their own unique narratives of being "saved by the ball."
From starting with nothing to rising up through the school of hard knocks, these athletes bucked their backgrounds to find success, and yes, wealth, in the game they poured their heart out to.
But before June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Poy Erram, Allein Maliksi, Vic Manuel, Calvin Abueva, Marc Pingris, Mark Barroca, and Mac Belo became the biggest names in Philippine basketball, their grit and grind had to first be forged by tough experiences.
Arwind Santos: Pedaling his way to success
From Pampanga, NorthPort veteran Arwind Santos made his way to the concrete jungle in Manila by helping his father, who was a security guard, make ends meet for his whole family.
He got by as a pedicab driver during his early teenage years in Pampanga, before he was scouted by Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda, who brought his talent to the limelight in the UAAP.
June Mar Fajardo: Kakaibang career
Cebuano gentle giant June Mar Fajardo bared a couple of times in the past that had he not become a basketball player, he would’ve likely ended up a farmer, fisherman, or construction worker.
After all, this was the well-trod path of all his friends and neighbors from when he was growing up. June Mar, though, was nurtured by his loving parents until he made it to University of Cebu varsity which opened the doors to his storied career.
John Paul Erram: Rising up from the slums
TNT’s Poy Erram, easily one of the most sought-after bigs today, didn’t have it easy. He, alongside his 10 siblings, grew up in the slums of Cagayan de Oro. There were many days when their dining table was empty and the family had nothing to eat.
But even with no athletic background, Erram stood out with his height after joining a local Milo Olympics. Coach Arvin Martinez came to notice him and trained him in the fundamentals before he got into Xavier-Ateneo de Cagayan. From there, he would take his skills to Ateneo's main campus in Katipunan, and kickstart his journey to the top of the league.
Allein Maliksi: Giving life to his basketball career
Before Allein Maliksi came to prove himself as Meralco's go-to player, he first had to dream big, especially when he grew up dirt poor.
His family lived in La Loma Cemetery, and the tombstones were his early playgrounds. His father was a tricycle driver, and his mother a stay-at-home housewife. With the little they had, they had to endure relocation when the construction of the C-3 road begun when he was only six.
He first tried his luck in Univeristy of Manila, then transferred to University of Santo Tomas, getting his first taste of actual competitive ball that fueled his PBA dreams.
Vic Manuel: Strong amidst poverty
The ‘Muscleman’ in Vic Manuel was forged by a tough childhood and teenage years.
Hailing from Licab, Nueva Ecija, Manuel made it to the Philippine School of Business Administration, but had to get creative to survive on his meager P150 monthly allowance from the school. But coach and PBA legends Philip Cezar pitched in by giving him extra pocket money, and in return, he remained loyal to PSBA until he made it to the PBA as one of the select players who didn't come from UAAP or NCAA schools.
Calvin Abueva: Surviving the urban jungle
Calvin Abueva came from humble beginnings. Raised in Pampanga by his grandmother, the Magnolia star hawked balut in the streets to help out his family. The family situation even became so dire that they had to have his younger brother adopted.
Still, he was a mainstay at the barangay leagues, and like Santos, was eventually brought to Manila by Delta Pineda.
Quite a long journey to make him one of the most sought-after players today.
Marc Pingris: An iconic success story
Easily one of the most iconic success stories of a Pinoy basketball player is that of Marc Pingris, who used to call the local palengke in Pozzorubio, Pangasinan his home.
The Purefoods icon, who retired in 2021, was never ashamed of his past as a kargador who helped his mother out in the wet market.
This hardship in his teenage years is also the inspiration behind the ‘Puso’ Gilas battlecry, he said in his telling of the origin story of the national team's mantra.
Mark Barroca: Cinderella story
Up to today, Zamboanga’s pride and glory Mark Barroca has kept his feet on the ground — an act he may have found difficult to do in those long-ago days before he was a six-time PBA champion.
After all, Barroca revealed he once played with one shoe and one slipper on his feet.
Helping his family out, he made use of his athleticism to earn money in small-time leagues and races. Barroca started out as a track and field runner, joining the Palarong Pambansa before heading to the collegiate hoops spotlight in Far Eastern University.
Mac Belo: Piso text
Like Barroca, big man Mac Belo is a product of FEU. Like Barroca, too, the Misdayap, Cotabato native's earliest basketball memory was playing ‘nang nakayapak’ with his brothers.
When he got scouted by Bert Flores of the Tamaraws after the ChEd National Games, Belo only had one peso worth of load on his phone that he used to text the calling card of Flores. Thankfully, Flores called him up and launched his basketball career.
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