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| Tubid |
by GENESSA A. BUENAFE
The Fast, The Furious, the Fearless and the Saint
They called him so many names but it all sums up to one man. The basketball court is the battlefield he played with a keen eye and a set of skills. Anointed with the number ‘71’ in the back of his jersey shirt and a slamming ‘Barangay Ginebra Kings’ at the front, he plays the game with the zest for victory. Amidst failures and trails, he showed good character and a true sense of sportsmanship proving that beneath the name, the game and the fame, there is a true man beneath it: Ronald Gonzaga Tubid.
Spreading his wings
“It all started when Toto was a year old. His father gave him a small basketball. He learned to love it and grow with the vision of becoming a professional basketball player” laughs Lorna Tubid, Ronald’s mother. “His father, late Rogelio de la Cruz Tubid was a varsity basketball player at the University of San Agustin in the 70’s. I never thought that Ronald would follow his footsteps.”
It always has been - EVERYTHING STARTS IN THE FAMILY, even dreams and in Ronald’s case he never neglected the calling which was passed on so many years before from his father’s strong arms into his small delicate hands. Lorna adds “Eventhough his father wasn’t there long enough to see the man that he has become; I know Rogelio is proud of him.”
Learning to fly
“I was in Grade IV when I had my first ever real basketball game. Life was so simple back then in Iloilo. I studied at Oton Central Elementary School and Mr. Mannuelito Apuang was my first coach. I never forgot the feeling of shaking in my shoes and sometimes dropping the ball when I get too nervous. But hey I was young.” smiles Ronald Tubid. There’s a first time for everything… famous people, and novel price winners are not exempted. Learning to fly can only be gained from the gradual accumulation of experience including those unexpected bloopers, as what they are usually called.
In Ronald’s case, those tough moments didn’t give way for the worst. They gave way for so many opportunities, like playing in the Midget Basketball and the Southern Iloilo Sports Association (SISA). This time, he didn’t drop the ball whenever he was nervous.
He learned how to let fear go… into the ball, letting it fly and down it goes through the basketball ring. Then, he scores.
Soaring high
“Still, I played basketball until I reached college at the University Of The East. I even got to play in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines).” says Tubid. The chance to fire up his dream has finally come at hand. Provided with once in a life time opportunities, his wish to become a professional basketball player has come within his reach. And, along with these opportunities was a more unexpected event.
“While playing at the amateur Philippine Basketball League, I was picked as the face of Blessed Pedro Calungsod. (laugh) He wasn’t even declared a Saint back then.” says Ronald. And then the nickname, “The Saint” was born. After all those years waiting for the right time to come, another calling knocked at his door.
Tubid was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers as the sixteenth overall pick in the 2003 PBA Draft and averaged 8.9 points in his rookie year. And at the midway point of the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup, Tubid was traded to the Barangay Ginebra Kings and was a key reliever in Ginebra's title conquest over sister team San Miguel Beer.(http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ronald_Tubid)
With awards like PBA Mr. Quality Minutes (2003),PBA 3-point Shootout Champion (2004), PBA Mr. Quality Minutes (2005-06), PBA co-Finals Most Valuable Player (2008) and PBA All-Defensive Team (2009). And from there Ronald etched his name on the wall of fame.
Flying back to his nest
“I always keep in touch with my family. No matter how busy I am. And I also regularly extend my regards to those people who inspired me to become who I am today, to my parents, to the friends I gained through basketball, my coaches and especially to the former mayor of Oton, Hon. Felix L. Flores.” Ronald stresses. He added that Hon. Flores gave him the biggest push when he was still starting to tread the path of his career.
“I went to Manila to audition and back to Iloilo the next day without any hope that I’ll be accepted in 2003 PBA Draft. Hon. Flores gave me the wake up call to go back” Ronald declared. He did go back and there hope crossed his way. Ronal added, “I was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers as the sixteenth overall pick. And from there my dream took hold of me.”
Truly, the journey away from home is as tough as leaving a part of Ronald’s self behind, the journey to his dreams made him lose more of himself and still he gained so much of the person he never knew was there.
Ronald Tubid always finds his way back to his nest, to the people who loved him, to his mother’s arms, to the boy who made his father’s dream come true and now to a man that they call, The Fast, The Furious, the Fearless and the Saint.
The Fast, The Furious, the Fearless and the Saint
They called him so many names but it all sums up to one man. The basketball court is the battlefield he played with a keen eye and a set of skills. Anointed with the number ‘71’ in the back of his jersey shirt and a slamming ‘Barangay Ginebra Kings’ at the front, he plays the game with the zest for victory. Amidst failures and trails, he showed good character and a true sense of sportsmanship proving that beneath the name, the game and the fame, there is a true man beneath it: Ronald Gonzaga Tubid.
Spreading his wings
“It all started when Toto was a year old. His father gave him a small basketball. He learned to love it and grow with the vision of becoming a professional basketball player” laughs Lorna Tubid, Ronald’s mother. “His father, late Rogelio de la Cruz Tubid was a varsity basketball player at the University of San Agustin in the 70’s. I never thought that Ronald would follow his footsteps.”
It always has been - EVERYTHING STARTS IN THE FAMILY, even dreams and in Ronald’s case he never neglected the calling which was passed on so many years before from his father’s strong arms into his small delicate hands. Lorna adds “Eventhough his father wasn’t there long enough to see the man that he has become; I know Rogelio is proud of him.”
Learning to fly
“I was in Grade IV when I had my first ever real basketball game. Life was so simple back then in Iloilo. I studied at Oton Central Elementary School and Mr. Mannuelito Apuang was my first coach. I never forgot the feeling of shaking in my shoes and sometimes dropping the ball when I get too nervous. But hey I was young.” smiles Ronald Tubid. There’s a first time for everything… famous people, and novel price winners are not exempted. Learning to fly can only be gained from the gradual accumulation of experience including those unexpected bloopers, as what they are usually called.
In Ronald’s case, those tough moments didn’t give way for the worst. They gave way for so many opportunities, like playing in the Midget Basketball and the Southern Iloilo Sports Association (SISA). This time, he didn’t drop the ball whenever he was nervous.
He learned how to let fear go… into the ball, letting it fly and down it goes through the basketball ring. Then, he scores.
Soaring high
“Still, I played basketball until I reached college at the University Of The East. I even got to play in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines).” says Tubid. The chance to fire up his dream has finally come at hand. Provided with once in a life time opportunities, his wish to become a professional basketball player has come within his reach. And, along with these opportunities was a more unexpected event.
“While playing at the amateur Philippine Basketball League, I was picked as the face of Blessed Pedro Calungsod. (laugh) He wasn’t even declared a Saint back then.” says Ronald. And then the nickname, “The Saint” was born. After all those years waiting for the right time to come, another calling knocked at his door.
Tubid was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers as the sixteenth overall pick in the 2003 PBA Draft and averaged 8.9 points in his rookie year. And at the midway point of the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup, Tubid was traded to the Barangay Ginebra Kings and was a key reliever in Ginebra's title conquest over sister team San Miguel Beer.(http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ronald_Tubid)
With awards like PBA Mr. Quality Minutes (2003),PBA 3-point Shootout Champion (2004), PBA Mr. Quality Minutes (2005-06), PBA co-Finals Most Valuable Player (2008) and PBA All-Defensive Team (2009). And from there Ronald etched his name on the wall of fame.
Flying back to his nest
“I always keep in touch with my family. No matter how busy I am. And I also regularly extend my regards to those people who inspired me to become who I am today, to my parents, to the friends I gained through basketball, my coaches and especially to the former mayor of Oton, Hon. Felix L. Flores.” Ronald stresses. He added that Hon. Flores gave him the biggest push when he was still starting to tread the path of his career.
“I went to Manila to audition and back to Iloilo the next day without any hope that I’ll be accepted in 2003 PBA Draft. Hon. Flores gave me the wake up call to go back” Ronald declared. He did go back and there hope crossed his way. Ronal added, “I was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers as the sixteenth overall pick. And from there my dream took hold of me.”
Truly, the journey away from home is as tough as leaving a part of Ronald’s self behind, the journey to his dreams made him lose more of himself and still he gained so much of the person he never knew was there.
Ronald Tubid always finds his way back to his nest, to the people who loved him, to his mother’s arms, to the boy who made his father’s dream come true and now to a man that they call, The Fast, The Furious, the Fearless and the Saint.
Correction. Tubid was never been called The Fast neither the The Furious. The Fast is JJ Helterbrand and the Furious is Mark Caguioa.
ReplyDeleteAre you really watching PBA or basketball games? Ronald Tubid was never called as The Fast and The Furious.
ReplyDeleteyou can call him what you want.
ReplyDelete