After being inconspicuously activated by Barangay Ginebra prior to the start of the playoffs, rookie John Wilson has played insignificant minutes so far for the Kings.
The former NCAA MVP out of Jose Rizal University got an early Christmas gift, playing his first
game in the pros in Game 2 of Barangay Ginebra’s best-of-three quarterfinal against Alaska last December 22.
Head coach Jong Uichico first played him in the final 1:26 of the first quarter to rest Ronald
Tubid.
With 1.6 ticks left in the third, he was then sent in to replace Willie Miller.
Wilson, not related to teammate Willy, then played the final 1:16 of the game, subbing for Mark
Caguioa, with the outcome of the game already beyond doubt and the Kings eventually winning by a rout 94-76 to stave off elimination and trying the series at 1-all.
The 6-foot Binangonan, Rizal-born cager failed to attempt a single shot and tallied just one
assist, for fellow rookie Jimbo Aquino which gave the Kings their final points of the evening.
Wilson’s only other game so far also came in a lopsided match – when Barangay Ginebra walloped San Miguel Beer 95-78 in Game 3 of their best-of-seven semifinal last January 9 in front of the biggest crowd in the conference of 17,586.
Turning 24 years old on the 18th of this month, Wilson played out the final 2:07 of that game after replacing Miller anew, failing to score on two attempts from the field while grabbing one defensive rebound and turning ball over once.
Despite being still virtually negligible in Barangay Ginebra’s current scheme of things largely
because the off-guard position he plays is loaded on the team, Wilson is unfazed. He knows he is still adjusting to Uichico’s system and is not hurrying for his time to come. He says he will
continue to give it his all no matter how little the playing time he’s getting.
“Basta ready lang ako palagi sa mga laro. Pag binibigyan ako ni coach ng pagkakataon, lagi ko
talagang binibigay lahat,” says the Kings’ first round and seventh overall pick in last year’s
Annual Draft.
Wilson added he is only too glad to just be on active roster of the country’s most popular
basketball team. And most especially after fracturing his right ankle prior to the start of the
conference which delayed his much-awaited entry into Asia’s oldest play-for-pay hoops league.
“Malungkot na malungkot ako nung nalaman ko na may fracture pala. Akala ko sprain lang noon,” relates Wilson on the injury which he suffered during the Rookie Camp last August and which he seriously aggravated in a preseason tune-up game against the SK Knights, a Korean team, last September.
“Akala ko talaga hindi na ko makakabalik,” Wilson added.
After resting the foot and getting evaluated every two weeks, he finally got the go-signal to train again and did everything he can to get back in shape. Due to his hardwork in the Kings’ practices, he was rewarded with a place in Barangay Ginebra’s playoff roster.
All he hopes for now is a chance to be of help to the Kings in whatever way he can.
“Gusto ko talaga makatulong sa team. Sana mabigyan ng pagkakataon, kung hindi man this
conference, kahit sa mga next conferences. Maaga pa naman ang season,” Wilson said.
