NBA.com Philippines offers Filipino hoops fans a wide selection of NBA content. It is also a platform where local sports personalities can give their insights, analysis, and opinions on NBA-related topics. As fans of the game first and foremost, our All-Star Analysts can deliver fresh takes and relatable content that our Pinoy audience will surely enjoy.
We introduce to you our first batch of All-Star Analysts – Coach Norman Black, Gabe Norwood, LA Tenorio, Camille Clarin, Jett Manuel, and Isaac Go – through this Q&A that will give you an inside look at their NBA and WNBA fandom.
NBA/WNBA player you can compare your game with?
Coach Norman: My favorite past coaches are TV commentator Hubie Brown and my former college coach Jimmy Lynam, who was a head coach in the NBA for quite a few years. The present coaches that I like to study in the NBA today are Doc Rivers and Erik Spoelstra because of their defensive systems.
Gabe: Maybe a shorter Ben Simmons/Dejounte Murray-type.
LA: I like to compare my game to Tony Parker. He is my idol after MJ [Michael Jordan].
Camille: As a sophomore college player I don't think my game can quite compare to the WNBA greats, but I'd like to think that I have some flashes of Allie Quigley. One of the most natural shooters the game has, Quigley can make a shot from just about anywhere, not that I can do that, but I'm very much working towards emulating her finesse and scoring prowess.
Jett: Prolly Kobe [Bryant] minus the post-up game, dunks, swag, athleticism. I got the fadeaway down and a couple of game-winners in my career. Okay, I'm what would've been a 70-year-old Kobe or a poor man's Kobe. But I’ll take that [laughs]. I have a video comparison on YouTube if anyone wants to check that out. [laughs]
Isaac: I would say my game is comparable with Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan. Guys who used more of their skill and intellect to play the game. Both of these guys understood their limitations and maximized their strengths.
Favorite team/player?
Coach Norman: My favorite team is the LA Lakers. It started with the Showtime Lakers with Magic [Johnson], Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], and [James] Worthy. My favorite player is LeBron James. I love his work ethic, and how he consistently proves his haters wrong with his play on the court.
Gabe: I never really had a favorite team growing up, but I was always a fan of Jordan, [Allen] Iverson, and Penny [Hardaway]. I think it was the way they competed and how they added their own personal style to the game.
LA: San Antonio Spurs because of Tony Parker.
Camille: Over the years, I've fallen in love with Courtney Vandersloot of the Chicago Sky. Only a handful of players can match the court vision and passing mastery that Sloot has every night. I also have a soft spot for players who can shine on their own while elevating everyone around them and Sloot is one of the best at doing that.
Jett: Kobe. I caught the wave fairly late in Kobe’s career. It was after he shaved his ‘fro, but he was still wearing number 8. It was just everything about him. His swag. His style. The way he plays. Man, I loved it. Never had a favorite team but I would always joke, wherever Kobe goes, I’ll go.
Isaac: I grew up a Tim Duncan fan. He was extremely savvy and methodical with the way he played. There are no wasted movements in the way he plays. He knows when to outsmart or outmuscle his opponent. Not only that, he is a winner and a great teammate.
Craziest game you've ever watched
Coach Norman: The craziest game I watched recently was the last NBA game of Kobe Bryant when he scored 60 points. Just unbelievable how he rose to the occasion that one last time.
Gabe: So many crazy games, but one of my earliest memories was being home and watching the Knicks-Heat game when a fight broke out and Jeff Van Gundy was hanging onto Alonzo Mourning’s leg.
LA: Game 6 finals between Spurs and Heat. That was 2013 I think when Ray Allen hit the corner 3.
Camille: New York vs. Minnesota Lynx, May 25, 2018. I got courtside tickets with my high school coach to watch this game up in NY between the young guns of the Liberty and the vets of the Lynx. Maya Moore came in hot, scoring 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter alone and it was nothing but sensational. Then for the second half she was quiet, resting for most of the stretch, but with a player like Moore, you can count on something magical to happen. With 19.5 seconds left in the game, down by 1, Maya Moore catches the ball on the inbound, casually dribbles it towards the defender and then boom, quickly pulls up and hits a dagger three-pointer to give the Lynx the lead. The Lynx capitalized on the momentum and went on to win the game 78-72.
Jett: Kobe's final game. I was watching live. And I’m not ashamed, I was in tears. Actually I was a mess. I was excited. Sad. Cheering. Booing him for leaving. Crying. Laughing. All at the same time. That’s greatness. And craziness. [laughs]
Isaac: It would have to be T-Mac’s [Tracy McGrady’s] 13 points in 33 seconds. For one, it was against my Spurs team and it was painful to see it unfold. At the same time, it was incredible to see someone pull off an amazing comeback by himself. Tough would not describe the shots he had to make to win the game.
A player's signature move that you'd like to have
Coach Norman: The best signature move for me would be Kyrie Irving [when he goes] between the legs into a spin into a reverse layup finish on the other side of the basket. Kyrie has the best handles in the NBA.
Gabe: I’m a dribble-pull-up guy, so I’d go with Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard’s one-dribble pull-up.
LA: Reverse layup [Editor's note: LA already has his “pambansang reverse” signature move] and Tony Parker’s tear drop and smarts.
Camille: Easily Elena Delle Donne's fadeaway. The footwork, her ability to read the defender, and the beautiful follow through. If I add that to my bag, the UAAP is in trouble.
Jett: It’s gonna sound cliche and repetitive now, and I don’t care. But it will and always will be the Kobe pivot pump fake. Pivot. Fadeaway. Kobe Mamba grin with fist pumps.
Isaac: I would love to have Hakeem [Olajuwon]’s dream shake. It’s one of those moves that is still applicable in today’s game and that no one has been able to copy. A lot of players have gone to Hakeem to learn from him, but no one has come close to duplicating it.
Memorable encounter you've had with an NBA/WNBA personality
Coach Norman: My most memorable encounter with a NBA personality was with Joe Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant, who played in the NBA for the 76ers. I played against him in the Philadelphia Baker Pro Summer League championship game. My team was about to win as there was only about 20 seconds left. There was a foul whistled and we were standing next to each other as the foul shots were being taken. I look down and Joe Bryant is wearing a brand new pair of blue suede hi-top Converse shoes. I looked at him and said those are really nice shoes. He just nodded his head. We went on to win the game and the championship, and I received the MVP trophy for my performance in the tournament. After the game, we were in the locker room celebrating and I'm feeling good because I'm just out of college and I feel this is a good accomplishment for me. I look up and standing in front of me is Joe Bryant holding the blue suede Converse shoes. He gives them to me and says congratulations. To this day, that is a memorable moment in my career and those shoes are still at my mother's house wrapped in plastic.
Gabe: Getting to sit and talk to Kobe during halftime of the game at Araneta during the NBA lockout season. Close second would be when my wife and I were in Vegas, and Allen Iverson was at the table next to us. I was too starstruck to even get up and say anything, even though he was one of my all-time favorite players.
LA: I played against a lot of NBA players especially during the 2011 lockout. That was memorable for me.
Camille: My favorite player encounter was another Maya Moore moment. My high school team drove to NY to watch her play and after the game she greeted every single fan and had no problem attending to all of our fan girl needs. As one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, it was touching to see how much she cared about her fans despite how exhausted she must've been.
Jett: I spent some time training in the States. And I was lucky enough to train with some NBA pros. One of them was Greg Oden. He was trying to get back in the league at that time. I approached him like any other NBA fan. Got to talk to him nervously and I saw how down to earth and approachable this guy was, as if he wasn’t a lottery pick or one of the best players to come out of college. It made me think to myself at that time that if I ever made it to the pros, I wanna be just like that. Down to earth. No air. Not entitlement. Just a normal dude that loves basketball. Side note on another memorable encounter: I watched a Lakers game live for the first time. It was a big game and made last minute bookings so I had nosebleed seats. Kobe was warming up. I screamed at the top of my lungs, “Kobe!!!!” I swear he heard me and looked at my direction for about .24 seconds (see what I did there?). No words were said, but my life was changed. No one can tell me otherwise. [laughs]
Isaac: This would have to be when Kevin Durant came to Manila. I got the chance to step on the court and play against him. He hit a 3 on me, but I managed to get him back by hitting a 3 after he said it wasn’t going to go in. Just a surreal feeling to actually share the court with someone you would only see on TV.
NBA.com Philippines' first batch of All-Star Analysts give you an inside look at their NBA and WNBA fandom.
