Believe it or not, there have been a few instances in Philippine basketball history where a renowned athlete did not shoot the rock with his natural hand, meaning he grew up as a left-hander but subsequently turned to his right when playing ball.
I met one last Saturday and his name is Rene Barrientos. Around Cagayan de Oro City, he is known as Champ. Champ was one of my guests on my program, Sports For All, together with Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar “Oca” Moreno, former professional boxing promoter Carlo Almirante, one of Cagayan de Oro’s finest sports journalists, Mike Banos and, Rappler and Mindanao Gold Star Daily sportswriter, Lynde Salgados. We discussed Cagayan de Oro as a rising power in Philippine boxing, but that’s for another conversation.
All of us need to force a smile and try to make sense of what’s happening. The Philippine Paralympic team came out without single medal from Tokyo but Ernie Gawilan and company deserve our utmost respect for carrying the flag proudly in the face of superior opposition.
In the PBA’s 46-year existence, only 11 “homegrown” Filipino roundballers have chalked up 50 points or more in a single contest during their pro tenures.
One American player was actually an ex-professional who had already suited up in the National Basketball Association. At the time, the WBC was an amateur international competition sanctioned by International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Young man Menelik “Izzy” Israel has an abundance of opportunities that lie before him. Play at Duke University for 1-2 years then give the MLB (Major League Baseball) Draft a shot.
A total of 16 personages from the Class 2021 will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 12 Manila time.
In the opening game of the best-of-five finals in third conference (Invitational), Crispa blasted Toyota, 129-101, as the Tamaraws played without Ramon Fernandez, Abe King and Ernesto Estrada. The three were benched by head coach/team manager Dante Silverio, who had returned to the bench midway through the second conference for “not playing their best.”
![Justin Jaworski [photo from justinjaworski11 Instagram]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Screenshot_1011-400x200.png)
Justin Jaworski is his name. He’s a 6-3 guard out of Lafayette University (2017-21) who suited up for the Atlanta Hawks in the recently-concluded MGM Resorts NBA Summer League that was won by the Sacramento Kings (one of the assistants of head coach Bobby Jackson was Jimmy Alapag, who has since gotten another gig as an assistant coach with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s NBA affiliate in the G (Gatorade) League.
![Journalist Ron de los Reyes with Leopoldo Serantes at the PICC Tent on Dec 2019 SEA Games [photo from Ron de los Reyes]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/IMG_3426-1-e1629388281857-400x200.jpg)
1988 Seoul Olympics Bronze medal winner Leopoldo Serantes, the lone bronze medalist in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, is appealing for help with his medical expenses.
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