MANILA, Philippines — Matthew Dellavedova got to see Philippine basketball up close Saturday night.
And he’s got nothing but praises for the Filipinos’ level of play.
“I think it’s a lot more physical here than in the NBA,” the Milwaukee Bucks guard said. “I think I play hard, but sometimes, the NBA is not into the physical side compared to the international game.”
“You have to fight through screens whenever I play for the Australian team. Growing up in Australia, it was always physical and that’s how I play,” he furthered. Dellavedova was able to watch the Phoenix-Alaska clash that was settled with Eugene Phelp’s layup at the buzzer.
“I mean, I've played once before against the Philippines and they were pushing the game, a lot of dribble penetration and driving and kicking out to 3-point shots,” the 6-foot-4 NBA cager added.
The scrappy Aussie guard, who once won a championship with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, is in town to promote his first signature sneaker with Chinese brand Peak. Earlier Saturday, he met with Globalport Batang Pier and Asian brand ambassador Terrence Romeo.