VALUABLE LESSONS FROM GILAS SPITFIRES
By now, Jai Reyes should be used to changing teams.
Since leaving the confines of Ateneo, this 5-foot-9 guard has taken his act first to Powerade, back to the D-League with Cebuana Lhuillier, overseas in the ABL for the Saigon Heat, and back to the PBA again with Talk ‘N Text.
But when the 40th season of the PBA opens, Reyes might be wearing the threads of KIA after the expansion team picked him as its fifth selection in the expansion draft.
And for Jai, it’s just the fresh start he needs.
“Nakasalalay din sa opportunities at breaks yung minutes na mabibigay sa isang player. It’s good for me na KIA is an expansion team. Hopefully, I get my chance here and ma-build yung team na tuloy-tuloy yung programa dito,” he said.
It also helps that Reyes is coming off a stint with a loaded Tropang Texters side where he played with Gilas mainstays Jayson Castro and Jimmy Alapag.
“The lessons I’ve learned from Jimmy and Jayson, I don’t think I can get that anywhere. Kahit sa anong skills training or camp ang puntahan ko, iba ang natutunan ko sa kanila. Kung pano magbasa ng game, how to handle your teammates, how to be a leader. Sana ma-incorporate ko yung shooting skills ni Jimmy at yung mga natutunan kong moves ni Jayson, sana kahit papaano madala ko,” said the 27-year-old.
Reyes also believes that KIA can contend with the other teams this coming season, given that they would be steered by a coaching staff which is “palaban,” something which has continually been stated by assistant coach Glenn Capacio.
“Ang maganda dito, lahat kami excited and eager to prove something na somehow we belong in this league,” he said. “There’s no doubt yun ang sinasabi ni coach Glenn kasi as a player, yun ang identity nya eh. That made him one of the best defensive players in the PBA for such a long time. Talagang nilabanan nya lahat, pati import.”
“I guess kung ano yung laro nung coach as a player, ganun din yung gusto nya ma-instill sa amin. From him, yung natutunan ko sa kanya, yung techniques sa depensa talaga, especially that I’m small and going up against bigger guards. Marami na syang naituro sa akin and hopefully, I can show that in the games,” Reyes said. (RL)
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