Article by Karl Batungbacal
The current Governor’s Cup champions are composed of players that are known for their heart and hustle. Japeth Aguilar, L.A. Tenorio, and Mark Caguioa are but some of the names that people associate with the franchise because of the offensive firepower that they bring to the team.
As avid basketball fans might point out, though, good defense wins championships. For this reason, fans and players alike drifted towards the hustle player, 6’1″ Scottie Thompson. The former MVP of NCAA Season 90 has become a vital piece of Ginebra’s 2016 Governor’s Cup Championship that ended an 8-year title drought for the beloved franchise.
We were able to witness Scottie signing his contract with Gatorade Philippines abd secure a quick interview with the man himself.
4 Basketball-Related Life Lessons We Learned from Scottie Thompson
4. Respect everyone.
“Siguro pinaka-mahalaga doon ‘yong sa pag-respeto sa kakampi pati sa mga kalaban. Kasi kahit gaano kainit kami maglaro, sa katapusan naman, magkakaibigan pa rin kami. Natutunan ko rin silang galangin off the court.”
As a competitor, Scottie has been known to frustrate opponents because of his high energy and all-out hustle style of play. At the end of the day, though, he acknowledges that basketball is just a sport and that it shouldn’t be the end-all, be-all that some fans make it out to be.
3. Discipline is important.
Scottie mentions that this is the most important thing to him because “bilang isang basketbolista, aasenso ka lang kapag mayroon kang disiplina sa ginagawa mo. Isipin mo na lang na kapag hindi mo ginawa ang bagay na iyon, kahit gaano pa kababaw yan gaya ng stretching, hindi ka makakalaro ng buong puso mo.” Scottie hammers home his point soon enough and it becomes apparent why this man has been able to succeed as fast as he has.
2. Remember that the little things matter.
This is one of the most overlooked things, especially from a basketball player’s perspective. Although I’m not on the level of Scottie, I’ve been playing basketball since I was 5 and this was heavily emphasized by the coaches in the basketball camps I went to. I can clearly remember hearing our camp’s shooting coach put emphasis on the follow through after shooting the ball in order to get a consistent shooting form.
Scottie chimes in on its relation to real life by saying, “minsan, nakakapagod talaga gawin at mas lalong nakakasawa kaso kailangan talaga eh. Minsan, nakakasawa mag-practice kaso sa ganoong paraan lang ako magiging mas mahusay na player.”
L.A Tenorio and Ricci Rivero surprising him with a cooler full of Gatorade
1. Trust the Process.
This mantra has permeated the NBA by way of the Philadelphia 76ers’ former General Manager’s insistence on losing as many games as possible in order to get the highest odds for the draft lottery. The term has gone on to have a positive meaning because of its insistence on continuing what one is doing with the belief that it will turn out great in the end.
“Kung iisipin natin ng maayos, lahat ng ginagawa natin ay isang proseso. Kagaya ng pagbabasketbol, hindi naman naging malupit si LeBron (James) dahil ipinanganak siyang magaling kundi dahil sa patuloy niyang pag-hasa sa sarili niya kahit maraming masamang bagay na maaaring mangyari. Kaya ako, tiwala lang talaga sa proseso.”
As a fan of the game, it was inspiring and eye-opening to hear that someone who has been playing the game at a high level for some time now has the same perspectives as I do. To others, it may seem like it was just a normal interview; but for someone who knows he’ll never be able to play the game at that level, it was the best 5 minutes of my life.
