Chance to win for PH greater than any other gig, Bolick says
BANGKOK—Robert Bolick wasn’t supposed to be here, his focus should be instead on trying to put NLEx in a position to better its playoff chances in the PBA Philippine Cup.
But he’s here in this Thai capital, where he will be looking to lead the hastily formed Gilas Pilipinas in keeping its supremacy in the Southeast Asian Games.
“Of course, country first,” Bolick said as Gilas looks to be a better version of itself in Thursday’s semifinals against either Indonesia or Vietnam, which were playing their quarterfinal match at press time, with the winner earning the right to face Gilas.
A win at 2 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Philippine time) against either the Indonesians or the Vietnamese at Nimibutr Stadium will put Gilas a step away from completing its ultimate goal amid roster changes that came after Thailand barred naturalized players and those who failed to get a Philippine passport before the age of 16 for the 5-on-5 event.
That rule, imposed near the 11th hour, led to the entry of Bolick, one of five PBA players who set aside their respective campaigns in the Philippine Cup to give Gilas coach Norman Black some needed help.
Bolick gave his nod, so did NLEx, even if it could come at a cost. The Road Warriors were at 6-2 and with a strong shot at a twice-to-beat advantage before Bolick missed the next three games to don the PH colors.
Without Bolick, NLEx has lost two in a row and was slated to clash with Converge on Wednesday night.
“I’m thankful to NLEx for giving me a chance to represent the country and possibly win the gold,” he said.
For that to happen, Bolick and Gilas will look to overcome their topsy-turvy form from the group phase, when it was able to shrug off slow starts to beat Malaysia and Vietnam.
Bad form, late roster makeups, unfamiliarity and all, Bolick said there’s no reason for alibis.
“That’s no excuse,” he said. “We’re here already and we have a lot of good players, and I expect them to be at their best. Against Malaysia, there were players who came through. Against Vietnam, it was the other players who got hot.
“We have to go to the hot man. Whoever he is, we will support him.”
