By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Reporter
ANYBODY can make it to the National Basketball Association (NBA), even Filipinos, someone just has to lead the way much like what happened to Australian players. This is according to NBA player and champion Matthew Dellavedova.
Recently in the country to promote his new shoes for Chinese footwear brand Peak — the “Delly 1” — Australian Dellavedova of the Milwaukee Bucks took time as well to touch-base with his local fans and immerse in the local basketball scene.
Mr. Dellavedova, who won an NBA championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, said he is impressed of what he has seen with how basketball is very much loved in the country and how passionate the Filipinos are of the sport.
He went on to say that Filipinos have what it takes to make it to the NBA, someone just has to break ground for the league to take notice.
“Yeah, currently I think eight Australian players are playing in the NBA. I have been asked if a Filipino can make it to the NBA and I said yes. I believe when one player from the Philippines make it to the NBA more would follow,” said Mr. Dellavedova when asked by BusinessWorld on what made it for Australian basketball to be noticed in the NBA, in a short question-and-answer portion during the opening of Peak’s first concept store in the country last Friday at the Robinsons Place Manila, which the player led.
“In our case, with Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal and other Australian legends paving the way, and Andrew Bogut going as the number one pick in the draft, that opened the floodgates for the rest of us to come. It’s has been fun having so many Australians in the NBA and hopefully there would be more to come,” he added.
Mr. Dellavedova, who went undrafted in the NBA, also gave credit to the Australian Institute of Sports for developing the talents of athletes like him, preparing them to higher competitions and ventures like the NBA.
Among the Australians playing in the NBA apart from Mr. Dellavedova include Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, Dante Exum and Joe Ingles of the Utah Jazz and Aron Baynes of the Boston Celtics.
