Davao boy following Thompson footsteps
CJ Xyriel Visaya is trekking the same path taken by his idol, Scottie Thompson.
photograph by Joey sanchez Mendoza for the daily tribune
Daily TribuneCJ Xyriel Visaya is trekking the same path taken by his idol, Scottie Thompson.
photograph by Joey sanchez Mendoza for the daily tribune
CEBU CITY — A young boy with big dreams is working hard to follow the footsteps of his idol in Barangay Ginebra superstar Scottie Thompson.
CJ Xyriel Visaya had become the toast of the local crowd while representing Davao Region in the secondary boys’ basketball event of the 64th Palarong Pambansa here.
The Grade 12 student at the Cor Jesu College in Digos, Davao del Sur shone as the tournament’s Three-Point King while leading his squad to the bronze medal following a 75-72 win over CALABARZON on Monday at the University of San Carlos Gym here.
He said seeing his hero — Thompson — inspires him to work harder.
“When I first saw him play (Thompson) until getting to play here myself, he was my inspiration,” the soft-spoken Visaya said, whose mother works at a slaughterhouse while his father is a traffic enforcer.
“I’ll do my best and do all the things needed to get myself noticed.”
Like Visaya, Thompson also had a humble beginning before becoming one of the most popular and beloved players in the Philippine Basketball Association.
He also played for Davao Region in the Palarong Pambansa when University of Perpetual Help System Dalta assistant coach Tonichi Pujante spotted him.
“He reminds me of Samboy Lim,” said Pujante, who has an eye for talent being a former Letran College star player, in a previous interview.
“Like Samboy, Scottie could sky. He could fly!”
Thompson went on to have a fruitful five-year career with the Altas in the National Collegiate Athletic Association before being drafted fifth by the Kings in 2015.
‘Like Samboy, Scottie could sky. He could fly!’
Since then, his stock skyrocketed as he won seven titles and a Most Valuable Player award in 2021 that made him an inspiration to countless young basketball fans.
Davao head coach Rey Senarillos said Visaya could follow Thompson’s footsteps. In fact, he already has an offer to play in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc., (CESAFI) the most competitive collegiate league in the Visayas and Mindanao.
“He already has an offer to play in CESAFI. It’s now up to him and his parents to decide,” Senarillos said, adding that becoming the next Scottie Thompson is not impossible for a young player who works hard.