Frequent exposure to camps for kids should enhance the Philippines’ chances of finally sending a player to the National Basketball Association (NBA).
This was the belief of former NBA star Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics, who presided over a camp held on Friday at SM Megamall.
“Give them a lot of camps to go to and let them understand what it’s going to take to get to the NBA. It’s not just we come over here and do something and it will disappear,” Payton said during the event staged by Vivo.
“We’ve got to always give them an opportunity to get better and I think the NBA is doing a great global move and we’ve got to credit the late (commissioner) David Stern and now Adam Silver who is keeping this going,” added the nine-time NBA All Star.
Filipino players who participated in the international camps set by the NBA like the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) have been thriving overseas.
Kai Sotto, the 7-foot-3 big man for Gilas Pilipinas honed his skills in the BWB before his stints in the National Basketball League in Australia and Japan B.League.
Gilas Youth stars Andy Gemao and Kieffer Alas were also honed in NBA camps before going to North America to flex their muscles.
Gemao, who led Letran College to a National Collegiate Athletic Association juniors basketball crown, is currently playing for Royal Crown Academy in Toronto.
Meanwhile Alas, the son of veteran coach Louie Alas and younger brother of NLEX guard Kevin Alas, is enrolled at Layton Christian Academy in Utah.