NBA's first Fil-am coach impacts Adamson's win over FEU
Manila, Philippines - In about 48 days at South Beach, Florida, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra would start the job every coach would love to have – handle the NBA’s newest Power Trio of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh.
But last Wednesday at the Big Dome, the first Fil-American head coach in professional sports in the US was enjoying handling young kids, who have only seen the Power Trio on television screens and gaming consoles.
The atmosphere at the sprawling Araneta Coliseum was much like an NBA Training Camp.
Spoelstra and his top assistant Dave Fizdale taught 40 girls and boys from the UAAP and the other collegiate league NCAA what they are preaching to the Heat players during one of the NBA Fit Development program’s stop.
“This is what Dwayne (Wade), Lebron (James) and company would experience 48 days from now,” announced Spoelstra to the visibly star struck varsity cagers.
At first, the players seemed to have been overwhelmed by mere Spoelstra’s presence. It took them some time to follow the new drills that made Spoelstra’s reiterate one of the basics of the game.
“Communication guys. Speak up. Talk to each other,” Spoelstra was yelling to the players.
The Fil-American head coach who traces his roots in San Pablo, Laguna was so intense that he was drenched in his red shirt just few minutes into the camp.
Among those UAAP players, who picked up Spoelstra’s intensity was Alex Nuyles of the Adamson Falcons.
Nuyles dunked his way to the drills that day. Barely 24 hours later, he paved the way for his team’s biggest win of the season.
Nuyles’ one-on-one isolation drive in the closing seconds set up the stage for his teammate Eric Camson to sneak in and tip in his miss to lift the Falcons to a rousing 64-63 win over erstwhile unbeaten Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
“Oo, nadala ko yung intensity ng training kahapon. Kasi iba talaga magturo si Coach Erik (Spoelstra),” said Nuyles, who paced the Falcons with 14 points in his team’s first win over FEU since 2002.
Spoelstra, though, was not able to watch Nuyles’ game on Thursday as he was busy conducting another clinic in his hometown in Laguna. But he must have been happy that he made an impact in his brief moment with the young cagers.
Nuyles took Spoelstra’s words to heart.
“Respect the game and what it means, and the game will respect you back. Respecting the game means working hard, discipline and not taking the game for granted,” Spoelstra often preached during his brief visit in the country.
Nuyles and the Falcons have been working hard to gain respect.
Last season, they were tagged as the heartbreak kids after losing six games by only four points or less. They ended up fifth and narrowly missed the Final Four.
But not this season. Nuyles has taken the mantle of leadership. He has the heart of a winner and the urgency to win, which Spoelstra would like to see in his players.
“Gusto ko ako ang te-take ng last shot. Hindi man pumasok, masaya pa rin ako kasi nanalo kami. Sobrang laki ng panalong ito kasi iniisip ng mga ibang tao, low level ang Adamson,” Nuyles said with conviction.
Nuyles respects the game so much. And the time has come that the game respects him back and his Falcons.
-Alder T. Almo
