By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Raymond Almazan of the Meralco Bolts controls the rebound in file photo. (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio)
Being in the championship isn’t new to Meralco Bolts center Raymond Almazan. But he still feels giddy at the thought of facing Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals starting on Tuesday.
Almazan feels “blessed” to be able to match up against a team he had been looking up to since he was a kid.
“It’s a dream come true for me na makalaban ang Ginebra sa finals kasi hindi naman lahat ng tumatanda, nagkakaroon ng ganoong opportunity. Sobrang excited and blessed lang ako,” the 6-foot-8 power forward/center said.
Almazan remembers the vibrant energy inside their house whenever Ginebra plays on television.
“Bata pa lang ako, nagkakagulo na sa bahay namin kapag galing akong school. Tinatanong ko, ‘Anong pinapanuod nyo?’ Naglalaro pala sa finals Ginebra,” the former Letran Knights standout said.
“Ever since nung bata talaga ako, Ginebra fan ako, kaya complete dream come true na makalaban yung alam naman nating idol ng lahat na team.”
Although he has championship experience with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2016 Commissioners’ Cup, Almazan feels like a first-timer since most of his teammates have clashed with Ginebra more than once.
“Yung intensity, hindi ko pa alam yung feeling eh. Alam naman nating sobrang dami ng fans nila, mga 70 percent siguro sa kanila,” he said.
Asked what he can contribute, Almazan said he’ll do his best on the team’s defense while trusting in coach Norman Black’s game plan.
“It will go down sa strategy talaga. Sasandal lang kami dun sa game plan ni coach, pero siempre mag-focus ako sa mako-contribute ko lalo sa depensa,” he said.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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