By Charmie Lising
Filipino-American Jalen Green put on another spectacular show in the Philippines.
Green, a top high school prospect in the U.S., was hailed as the Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC League National Finals presented by SM.
For the second straight year, the 17-year-old shooting guard led FilAm Sports USA in the week-long national championship.
Green powered FilAm Sports to a victory over the Ateneo Blue Eaglets before bowing down to the San Beda Red Cubs in the Fantastic Eight phase of the competition.
"It was a great experience though we lost early in the round," he said. "We had fun, it was a good experience. We played against tough guys."
Even though FilAm Sports got eliminated early, Green continued to impress and make waves in the NBTC festivities.
Green starred in an electrifying battle against David Carlos in the Slam Dunk Competition last Saturday. The two exchanged jaw-dropping slams before being named as co-champions in one of the best, if not the best, dunk face-off ever held in the Philippines.
"The dunk contest was fun too," he said. "David came out and put on a show and I love the experience."
Aside from the dunk showdown, Green said that his viral poster jam on the 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto during the FilAm Sports-Ateneo matchup was one of the highlights of his NBTC experience.
After going up against the top high school players in the country, Green made special mention of San Beda's Tony Ynot, the tournament's Best Defensive Player. Ynot, who was tasked to defend Green, played a vital role in sending FilAm Sports out of title contention.
"I think he's probably the most impressive to me because he didn't back down," Green said. "He was staying with me on defense, he didn't give up, talking trash. I think he impressed me the most."
Green still has unfinished business because his team failed to set a rematch with the NU Bullpups. The eventual two-time champions knocked out FilAm Sports in the quarterfinals last year.
"I need a rematch with them," he said. "I didn't get to play them this year but we played them last year. It would be cool if we did, but like I said, we got sent home early."
The 6-foot-6 Green, whose maternal grandfather hails from Ilocos Sur, would love to return to the Philippines for another NBTC stint next year.
"Yeah, I'mma be back. I will come back," he promised. "It was amazing. It's always good coming out here - the competition, the people and the fans, I love the support."
Comments