MENK 2.0?
Flashback Friday?
Eric Menk gave the Big Dome a glimpse of his old self on Friday, making the most of his 28 minutes on the floor to nab a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds and help Alaska take its sixth straight victory with a 69-56 victory over Blackwater.
This was Menk’s first double-double since January 17 last season, when he had 17 points and 14 rebounds in GlobalPort’s 92-108 loss to his old team Ginebra.
The 40-year-old slotman admitted that sometimes, fatigue catches up, but with Alaska losing key big men like Sonny Thoss and Gabby Espinas to injuries, he knows that he has to hustle his way to help his team win.
“I’m just trying to do the best as I can,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that many minutes, and I have to admit that at the end of the first half, I was a little tired. In the second half, I was fine.”
Menk said that their killer practices have helped his endurance this season, saying, “Our practices are pretty tough. I felt good and I never complain about the minutes. I always want to be out there, I’m very thankful that I had the opportunity.”
“I’m very thankful that Alaska traded for me and saw something in me. I’m just hoping that I have something left and I’m able to help them because they’re a very good team.”
Another factor for Menk’s resurgence could be his fitness, having significantly slimmed down.
He said, “It’s been 15-20 years in the making. I’ve made a lot of mistakes when I was younger. Over the years, I’ve learned about fitness and nutrition if you want to play in your late 30s and 40s. I really attribute that to my wife, she’s great and she always makes sure that I have the right food and enough rest. She’s helped a lot. I learned it the hard way. I had a few years when I wasn’t as good as I should’ve been, and I’m lucky that I’m still playing.”
With the kind of performance he dished out, is this the start of Menk’s big comeback?
As much as he wants to say yes, he opted not to put too much pressure on himself.
Menk said, “At my age, there are good days and bad days. Today was a good day, let’s see what happens next week.” (RL)
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