IF coach Topex Robinson is to be asked, of course he’d rather have Kevin Quiambao resting during his time off La Salle instead of taking his special talents in bush leagues and exhibition games where the risk of an injury is always present.
“Obviously, ayaw ko naman talaga,” Robinson said when asked about his take on Quiambao’s extra-curricular activities while La Salle’s repeat campaign is on-going.
But since there really aren’t any rules barring Quiambao from doing so, all Robinson’s asking for is honesty and transparency from his star forward.
“I mean basta sabi ko alam ko lang. Kesa itago mo sa akin, and with social media now, malalaman ko rin. Basta ingat lang, yun lang yung lagi kong sinasabi sa kanya,” he shared.
“He knows the risk that he’s taking and sabi ko nga na mas maganda nang alam ko kesa hindi ko alam. So whatever happens, he’s gonna take the responsibility for that. Kaya nga when the news came out kanina, we already knew about it last week pa so it didn’t really bother us,” he added.
“Sabi ko nga, ingat lang kasi konti na lang din naman e. Almost a month na lang, tapos na ang season.”
READ: KQ admits playing in Sariaya ligang labas out of 'utang na loob'
There really isn’t anything stopping Quiambao from playing elsewhere, as unlike in the NCAA where ligang labas cases have cost teams games in the past – most recently RK Ilagan with San Sebastian – the UAAP doesn’t penalize players who do so, at least starting 2021.
An excerpt from the UAAP rulebook states:
“9.4 Except as provided in this Amateur Status Rule, there shall be no prohibition for any student-athlete and/or sports team of any Member University from simultaneously participating in other tournaments or leagues while participating in the UAAP.”
The power to sanction, in this case, will be on the schools, and ultimately the coaching staff and management of the teams. So why hasn't Robinson disallowed Quiambao from playing in those games?
Robinson stated it’s all about trust.
“I believe in trust kasi, it has to be a two-way street e. I mean for you to earn their trust, you have to give them the trust e,” he said.
“It goes to everybody sa amin, hindi lang si KQ. with everybody. And once you have that kind of trust with them, you’re not gonna worry about them anymore.”
The 49-year-old shared how he’s basically treating his players with the understanding that they know what’s at stake here.
That at the end of the day, they’re adults who are free to do whatever to do with what they wants so long as they understand the possible repercussions of their actions.
So insted of repressing his players in cases like this, he’d rather be on top of it than have his players hide it from him.
“They know that if they don’t take care of themselves [and this spot], somebody else will take it, ganun lang kasimple sa amin,” Robinson shared.
“Kapag pinabayaan yung opportunity sa iyo, somebody else will take that opportunity. So, klaro rin sa kanila. Pag hindi niyo inalagaan yan, may kukuha. So I think mas okay na yung ganun,” he added.
“You treat them as matured individuals e. You don’t treat them as kids, because they’ll act as kids.”
And in the case of 'KQ,' Robinson shared how his leader and star is certainly doing his part, so if he can juggle all those things, then he's not really batting an eye.
"Everytime I see KQ in practice and in games, it’s a reminder of how grateful I am to have him. The work ethic of that kid [is amazing]. He’s not perfect, he’s doing a lot of stuff [outside], but at the end of the day, you cannot get mad at somebody who really puts in the work," Robinson said.
"Nobody’s gonna question his work ethic and leadership. So you have to make sure you value that."
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