On the surface, Mike Phillips looks like the epitome of a perfect basketball player with two University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) titles, a Southeast Asian Games gold medal, and a rare chance to emerge as the top overall pick in the Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft next year.

But rising to the top wasn’t easy.

Despite being raised in a Christian household, the Filipino-American forward admitted he also had his share of adversity before becoming the person he is now. He rose from the darkness of injuries, addiction, and depression until finding light with faith serving as his biggest weapon.

“My personal experience with God was through the darkest times in my life. I’ve had maybe five or six brain injuries and concussions, and every single time I had one of these brain injuries, I really felt I was so alone, I was very depressed because I was just in bed rest for weeks to months at a time,” said Phillips, a follower of Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF).

“In these very, very dark places — I called it rock bottom, and my testimony is that God took me to rock bottom to show me that He is the rock at the bottom. In those private places is where I heard God’s voice the loudest, and in those dark places is when I felt his love the most, and he told me that he has a plan for me, and that even though I may not see his plans for me right now, he’s really gonna take me up in a high place.”

Aside from injuries and depression, Phillips also survived his battle with porn addiction.

Phillips said having Elevate Taft, the youth movement of CCF, do prayer sessions would not only keep his focus in his games but also strengthen his spirit.

“I begged Jesus to save me from my pornography addiction and my lust addiction. Through that powerful encounter with Jesus, I was reminded that I am no longer a slave to sin,” Phillips said.

During his five-year stint at De La Salle University in the UAAP, Phillips became friends with Doleo Susalta, a security guard in his dormitory who helped him strengthen his faith in God.

Phillips said Susalta walked with him from the darkness into the light until his passing in 2024. That’s why when he dropped a double-double performance of 12 points and 18 rebounds in their big 88-67 win over University of Santo Tomas in the previous UAAP season, Phillips took the time to dedicate his performance to his departed friend.

“When I was really in dark places before, I don’t know why, but God just kind of brought us together, and he was always open. The thing about it, he has to stay awake the whole night and constantly check and make sure everybody’s safe. He would never turn a blind eye to me, or he would never turn his back on me,” Phillips said.

“He would always listen to anything I had, and I learned so much from him about what it means to be a Christian here. He really taught me a lot, and he was so open.”

True enough, Phillips finally found light. In his final year for the Green Archers, Phillips bagged both Mythical Team and Finals Most Valuable Player to win the Season 88 crown.

Phillips was also cleared by the International Basketball Federation to compete as a local player, making him a welcome addition to the Gilas Pilipinas program in future FIBA tournaments.

Phillips has gone through a lot of hardships and challenges that would have broken most people. But instead of staying down, he held on to his faith that led to the rebirth of a better version of himself.