ANOTHER NBA star has been introduced to the land of basketball fanatics, the Philippines, as San Antonio Spurs scrappy forward Jeremy Sochan is presently in Manila, inspiring the next generation of ballers.
You could know him as the modern-day Dennis Rodman, not just because of his eccentric hair color choices, but also because he is a dynamic and versatile player with a high basketball IQ and defensive prowess.
This is what makes the 6-foot-8 forward from Poland the ideal candidate to share the lessons he gained over his young basketball career with the youngsters in attendance at the event that will take place from May 7 to 10.
Star In The Making
Being a star in your role can be tough for some players, but not for the 9th overall choice in the 2022 NBA Draft, who has been one of San Antonio’s pillars as the team rebuilds itself as one of the league’s dominant forces.
Joining the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, under the leadership of Chris Paul and De’Aaron Fox, and with new head coach Mitch Johnson at the helm, Sochan has showed consistent progress in his career.
In his third season in the league, he finished with a strong stat line of 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and half a block, giving a consistent presence for the youthful Spurs team.
Now, given how veterans helped him become the player he is today, not to mention being coached by the newly appointed Spurs president Gregg Popovich, it is Sochan’s turn to pay it forward to the Filipino youth.
Diamond In The Rough
As stated earlier, Sochan is a Rodman-type player who always has his head down and is willing to do the dirty work for his team. Some may even describe him as a tough player who is always solely focused on work.
Aside from that characteristics, Sochan believes in the value of enjoying a basketball game. This has been his key advise, despite the team’s need to strive and struggle in order to accomplish its ultimate goal: a title.
“It’s all about growing, learning, and having fun with that process. It’s not always going to be easy. Even when I look at my childhood, being in high school, being invited to these tournaments? They can be stressful,” he said.
“They can be nerve-wracking. But at the end of the day, I think the most important thing is to have fun, work hard, do the little things, and just enjoy it,” he went on to say.
Introduced to Pinoy Culture
Being in front of these Filipino children might be something new for him. However, the NBA player is well-versed in what a basketball arena may be like while competing against a Filipino team.
Sochan has previously faced Filipinos when he competed against Gilas Pilipinas as part of the Philippines’ and Poland’s preparations for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“It’s crazy. I didn’t really know what to expect, but one of my best friends, Carl, he’s half-Filipino.He used to tell me a lot about the basketball culture here, and how crazy it is, but I’d never really seen it in person,” he said.
“And then, I was warming up, going onto the court, and half the arena was from the Philippines. I was like: ‘Okay? This is crazy!’ It was loud,” he added.
He scored eight points in an 82-80 triumph over a comeback-seeking Gilas, which overcame a 14-point deficit, and it gave him a sense of what the sport means to the Philippines.
NBA Return?
Sochan emphasized the importance of the NBA returning to the Philippines in the future, citing how they embraced the previous NBA Global Games between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers.
“Basketball, it’s a big part of their culture. It’s super cool to see. I also see a lot of stuff on Instagram. Even I didn’t know that I have so many fans from the Philippines, so it’s been a blessing,” Sochan said.
“We played in Paris for the NBA Global Games, and I feel like this would be a perfect spot for an NBA game one day. Maybe we will see,” he went on to say, while hoping that his Spurs team can also experience it.
Sochan’s brief but remarkable tour to the country is slated to finish on Saturday, May 10, when the country’s Rising Stars Qualifiers will compete in the Finals at the Araneta Coliseum.
