L. A. gives hope for underdog

MANILA, Philippines - Kia point guard L. A. Revilla worked like a radar locating open teammates for baskets and delivered in the clutch as the Carnival upset Purefoods, 95-84, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday. Revilla finished with 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals in 33:47 minutes to earn Best Player of the Game honors. It was his third Best Player award in Kia’s three wins since the start of the season.

The remarkable thing is Revilla almost didn’t make it back to the PBA after a disastrous rookie debut with Globalport last year.  Revilla, 25, was the 24th overall pick and Globalport’s third round choice in the 2013 draft. He played in only three games with the Batang Pier, was cut and tried his luck with the Cagayan Rising Suns in the PBA D-League.

In last year’s expansion draft, Revilla was the 20th choice of 24 and went to Kia. Determined to make good in his PBA comeback, he shot 23 points in Kia’s first-ever game, an 80-66 win over Blackwater to open the league’s 40th season at the Philippine Arena last October. He wound up averaging 9.8 points in 10 games. In the Commissioner’s Cup, Revilla is hitting at a 9.8 point clip and keyed the Carnival’s wins over San Miguel Beer and Purefoods.

Even at La Salle, Revilla was the underdog. He sat out two years to rest from a serious diabetic condition after playing as an Archer rookie then returned to play two more campaigns before waiving his final season of eligibility to turn pro. Revilla ended his La Salle career on a winning note as the Archers won the UAAP title.

Kia PBA alternate governor and Columbian Autocar Corp. president Ginia Domingo described Revilla as the Carnival’s heart and soul, pointing out that he was the Best Player in the team’s three wins so far.

“The team is really motivated,” said Domingo after the Carnival beat Purefoods. “The players all want to win for Manny (Pacquiao), to show him they’re worth the time and effort he gives them. We’re very grateful to Manny for everything he does for our team.” The atmosphere in the Kia dugout was as if the Carnival had just won the championship with players emptying water bottles on each other like flowing champagne. “They’ll definitely be rewarded for this victory,” said Domingo. “How I wish I could play basketball, too.”

The win was historic as Congressman Pacquiao, the Kia playing head coach and WBO welterweight champion, scored his first point in the PBA with a free throw. But the night clearly belonged to Revilla.

Revilla’s Purefoods counterpart Mark Barroca could only shake his head in wondering what went wrong. “L. A. played well,” said Barroca. “We knew we wouldn’t be able to stop (P. J.) Ramos from scoring because he’s just so big. So we were prepared to give him his 30 points but we had to stop the locals from scoring and couldn’t. The locals won it for Kia.”

The 7-2 3/4 Ramos had 32 points and got solid support from the locals with Revilla leading the charge, Eloy Poligrates hitting 15 and Kyle Pascual and Leo Avenido chipping in eight each.

“This was one for the books,” said Kia coaching consultant Joe Lipa. “What I like about this team is everyone’s happy and highly motivated. I credit the two managers (Eric Pineda and assistant Joe Ramos) for this. It was a great win for Manny.”

Revilla said the hard work is finally paying off. “We’re constantly adjusting to new players coming in,” he said. “So it’s always hard work at practice because we’re still getting used to each other.” This conference, Kia has checked in 20 players and started 11.

Revilla’s father figure and NU coach Eric Altamirano said the Kia guard reminds him of PBA legend Hector Calma. “I’m so happy for L. A.,” said Altamirano. “He’s playing his best basketball. He keeps getting better every game. I’m so proud of him. He played superbly against Purefoods. He’s holding his own against the top guards in the league. We monitor his diabetes plus he is very disciplined with his body.”

Altamirano, a former PBA coach, brought a teenaged Revilla from Bacolod to Manila to pursue a basketball career, first with the San Beda juniors. Revilla has never left Altamirano’s side since his arrival in the big city. He still lives with Altamirano and his family. Revilla’s inspiring story relives the tale of David and Goliath, a reminder that there is hope for the underdog.