Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Seeing Filipino kids play basketball without a pair of shoes in a compound in Taguig was a very familiar sight for Indiana Pacers star Paul George.
It in fact evoked a feeling of a shared plight – at least when he was still lurking outside the spotlight.
“That’s how I was,” said George, who witnessed the true form of Filipino basketball at the Tenement Compound in Pasig on Sunday (July 19).
“There’s energy before I even stepped into the court and I knew from there I was in for something crazy.”
The two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star is in the Philippines to promote the Nike Rise project, a basketball program spearheaded by former Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes and captain Jimmy Alapag which aims to help young Filipino cagers realize their true potential.
Read: Jimmy Alapag, Chot Reyes to spearhead youth hoops program
A total of 24 young athletes were selected following a series of tryouts in Manila, Dagupan, Cebu, and Davao.
George can relate to them as well after a brief encounter on Monday morning (July 20) that included drills.
“They got great passion for basketball, something I can relate to,” he said during a press conference on Monday (July 20).
“They genuinely love the game.”
His advice for all Filipino cagers who are most likely taking the same path he once treaded?
“You’re going to make mistakes along the way,” he said, “but it’s about how you persevere and that’s what makes great players.”
And how about the Filipinos’ inherent dilemma in height?
