Fully recovered, David braces for PBA action

Christian David vowed to be at his best when he sees action in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup set to open on 5 November at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

David, a former Butler University star, is coming off a horror knee injury, raising doubts on his ability to dominate for Blackwater in the country's premier professional league.

But the 6-foot-6 swingman said he had already put that sorry episode behind and is ready to prove his worth to help the Bossing win their first title since joining the league in 2014.

"I just felt that this year is the right time," David, who underwent two major knee surgeries, told Daily Tribune in a conversation.

"But during those times when I suffered knee injuries, I prayed a lot and was blessed that I had my legs coming back strong. Hopefully, I can stay healthy for a long time."

He said tearing his anterior cruciate ligament was the darkest moment of his basketball career.

"I had a couple of ACL operations," he said. "It's probably one of the worst injuries in basketball. It's definitely devastating, but I worked my way back to playing and it only made me stronger mentally and physically."

Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso said David's surgically-repaired knees didn't serve as a red flag in their decision to tap him as the second overall pick in the recent Rookie Draft.

He said he is convinced that a talent like him can make an immediate impact in their bid to finally make their first ever semifinal appearance.

"It's not a concern anymore," said Cariaso, referring to the major injuries suffered by David. "The due diligence that we did prior to the start of the draft was to really assess him medically."

"What we found out, especially his second ACL, was the rehab and treatment after would have been better. He lacked it and right after, he signed with a Korean team and right then, the expectations were high since he's an Asian import and he needs to perform. So they're a little impatient with him."

Cariaso said he couldn't wait to see David in action when they open their season against Converge on 8 November at the Philsports Arena.

"The day that we drafted him, we made sure that we were committed to him," Cariaso said.