ATENEO’s one-and-done forward Kymani Ladi is bound to be part of Gilas Pilipinas for the 33rd SEA Games.
And he was always going to be there even before curtains were raised on UAAP Season 88.
The 25-year-old Fil-Am hotshot had his Gilas spot practically sealed as early as the college preseason, when incoming national team coach Norman Black spotted him in the Blue Eagles' series of tune-up games with San Beda, where the veteran mentor was serving as a consultant.
“As you know, coach Black is actually really tied with San Beda and we had a lot of preseason games against San Beda. I caught the eye of coach Black when we played against San Beda and he really liked my game,” Ladi told SPIN.ph.
“I’m blessed and very happy that he's considered me for the national team, and I’m just ready to play for the team.”
The two Manny V. Pangilinan-backed schools played four times over a four-month stretch back in the summer.
Ladi and Ateneo won thrice, including in the Asiabasket College Campus Tour in March (87-68), the Asiabasket semifinals in May (89-88 in overtime), and the first of their two-game exhibition series in July in Passi, Iloilo (68-66).
Between now and the preseason, Black and Ladi waited for the green light in terms of securing the latter’s eligibility to represent the country in the biennial meet.
It wasn’t until the eventual implementation of the ‘passport only rule’ formalized Ladi’s forthcoming Gilas entry.
READ: 'Passport only' finalized as eligibility rule for SEA Games
“There was a time of wondering if there's an eligibility issue or not, but I was always ready to play for [Gilas],” Ladi said.
“It's been a dream of mine to play for the national team and now I have the opportunity to do that, so I'm taking it.”
Kymani can
With team-leading averages of 14.11 points, 7.44 rebounds, and 1.89 assists 10 games into the season, it’s a given that Ladi would be a walking bucket at any given moment.
But the Blue Eagles one-and-done stud wants to take this once-in-a-lifetime Gilas opportunity to show that there’s more to his game than just racking up the points.
“I know a lot of people see me as a scorer, but there's also a lot of responsibility that comes with that. I'm going to be looking for other players as well,” he said.
And one player he looks forward to putting on a show with for the flag? College archrival La Salle’s Mike Phillips.
“I’m looking forward to it, for sure. Mike's also a great player, and to be able to team up with him for the SEA Games, it's really cool to play with somebody like that,” Ladi said.
“He plays with a lot of motor and plays with a lot of energy, so I think playing with him and I is going to be a good mix.”
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