Meet ‘Howitzer Asi’

JAKARTA – From being a former bruiser, Asi Taulava is now enjoying a renaissance after stretching his range up to the three-point territory.

His newfound weapon didn’t escape Guiao’s notice.

“After 45 years, after all the punishments playing as a rugged big man, with all the national teams and with all the PBA teams, and then he found a new weapon which he is enjoying now – the three-point shot,” said Guiao during the men’s national squad’s final training before facing Kazakhstan today in the men’s basketball competition of the 18th Asian Games at the Jakarta Convention Center here.

“He’s enjoying the game a lot more, he’s having fun and he’s exercising his leadership. That’s the new and improved Asi,” Guiao said.

After taking the country by storm in 1998, Taulava campaigned in the Busan Asian Games in 2002 and in the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010.

He was known as a rugged player who terrorized the paint in international tourneys despite being listed as 6-foot-9.

But with the new breed of national team players around, Taulava turned himself into a stretch forward, who drains baskets from the rainbow area while asserting his leadership over younger players like Christian Standhardinger, Poy Erram and Raymund Almazan.

“What you get after all those years is the wisdom, is the experience. So, you put all of them together and you have the new and improved Asi Taulava,” Guiao said, adding that he encouraged the gentle giant from Tonga to expand his game and prolong his career.