Basketball
Japeth Aguilar ready to use US experience to help GlobalPort
AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan
Japeth Aguilar admits that his previous stint in Philippine basketball wasn’t always positive.
“There were times where fans expect so much from you. Ang taas ng expectations nila and once you didn’t live up to it, they will turn against you,” said Aguilar in an exclusive interview with InterAKTV.
“But I’ve learned from those experiences and I’m ready to move on. I hope I will be more mature this time.”
Aguilar, who joined his new PBA team GlobalPort in practice on Tuesday, is ready to start a new chapter in his colorful young basketball career.
He arrived in the country at 11:55 p.m. Monday, sleeping just a few hours before joining training. He was eager to show the stuff he learned while trying out for a spot in the NBA D-League the past few months.
“I was overwhelmed with the things I learned in the US,” said Aguilar. “It was a great experience for me. I hope I can help my team by showing the things I learned there.”
But Aguilar said observers need to temper their expectations about what he could do in his return.
“I hope they won’t expect too much. I cannot promise anything, but I will always do my best every time I’m playing,” he said.
GlobalPort coach Junel Baculi said Aguilar will be given every opportunity to prove himself.
“I will give him the playing time, but he needs to prove he deserves it. Right now, our main objective is to fast-track Japeth’s learning on the system and also to get himself in tip-top game condition,” said Baculi.
“Kailangang madaliin na because three days na lang and we will plunge to action.”
