The Diary Game Season 3 || 4th of April 2023 || My Basketball Journey

Have you ever had a problem you wished to just disappear even for a second? Have you ever had thoughts of anxiety or stress and wished they would just fade, even just for a moment? Life is full of problems and turbulence that we wonder: How do I get through this? What could be the remedy for me? For others, they drink the pain away. For some, they dance that pain away. They paint to express and release that thought, both positively and negatively. We are inspired by our thoughts. We think and we do. We cry when we're sad, we laugh when we're happy. But what happens if that negative thought begins to eat you up? Well, that happened to me. But unlike others, I don't drink, I don't dance, and I don't paint. But luckily, I fell in love with Basketball.

It all started when my father let me watch an NBA game. I still remember it vividly, as it was on our TV, on the NBA TV channel. It was a game between the New York Knicks against the Los Angeles Lakers. It happened on February 10, 2012. A fire was lit in me that day, as I saw Jeremy Lin going ballistic - Linsanity, as we called it back in the day. 38 points and 7 assists, he put on a masterpiece. Ever since that day, I said to myself: I want to be that dude. In a world where everybody wanted to be Kobe, I wanted to be Jeremy Lin.

I started my journey in the basketball world when I was 7 years old. It became a remedy - basketball made me forget all my problems. For a moment, all I thought about was how to score and win the game. I am grateful to have basketball there for me during tough times. Those few minutes of basketball were a lifetime of comfort. It made me happy; it gave me relief.

When I was 13, during the year 2018, around February of that year, I was lucky enough to be able to play for my hometown of Lapu-Lapu. I was one of the 12 players that were selected from a pool of around 36 players. We played in Bohol, a neighboring province here in Visayas, in a tournament called CVIRAA or the Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association. We exceeded expectations and were able to win 2 games against the best of the best from other places. Sadly, we also lost 2 games, which dropped us out of contention. Even though we lost, we had a memorable time. Those 11 people were like my brothers. We stayed in a room, slept like a family, and ate like a family. If I had any regrets, it would be that I didn't treasure the moment as well as I should have. Shortly after, on May 26 of the same year, I was able to play in Mactan Air Base and brought home the coveted MVP honors.

After that, everything was only going up. I earned my respect and was able to improve my game. I gained what used to be my bully, who now became one of my closest friends. Someone who used to be my enemy, now became one of my best teammates. We both played for our barangay, Mactan. This game is special as it became a bridge that connects people. Emotionally, you are at one, you want to win. Physically, you are brothers at war. You would hit and get hit for each other. And that is what makes this game special.

Recently, I've been playing at places I only dreamt of. Now, I play for another barangay which is in Basak. Then, I also play for my own barangay of Mactan. I've met new friends, sparked new rivalries, gotten hurt and learned, gotten embarrassed and then get shy. Through all of this, I've realized one thing: it's not just basketball. Everything is bigger than that. For me, it became my escape. It became my life. For others, they paint; for some, they drink and eat. But for me, I play basketball. Now, I'm curious to see what the future holds for me.