Fil-Am Brickman aspires to play in NBA after NCAA benchmark

MANILA, Philippines – When you grow up emulating the antics of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and former pro-turned NBA head coach Jason Kidd – two of the most successful point guards in their eras – it is inevitable that you’ll be as unselfish a player as they were in your own college career.

That has been the case for Filipino-American US NCAA Division I playmaker Jason Brickman, who just breached the 1,000-assist mark on Saturday, March 1 (Sunday in Manila) in his final game with the collegiate team the Long Island University (LIU) Blackbirds. In a 62-81 setback against the Bryant University Bulldogs, the 6-foot point guard notched 12 assists to eclipse the millennium mark.

He is only the 4th point guard in league history to accomplish the feat, and he says there has been no pressure reaching such an achievement, having grown up exposed to the works of the two future NBA Hall of Famers. 

“It feels great to see my name up there with some of the best point guards to ever play in college basketball. To see my name up there in the top 5 assists all-time is an awesome feeling and to see 1,009 by my name is even better,” said the 22-year old court general, whose mother Elizabeth was born in the Philippines.

“My favorite players growing up were Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. I loved point guards that could pass the ball and run the team.”

Unselfish brand of basketball

Brickman did not find pleasure that much in scoring baskets or shooting threes, but rather he embraced an unselfish brand of basketball that carried him towards success. He knew steering the squad by his playmaking skills and leading the entire team would eventually reap good results. 

“As a point guard, I just want to do whatever I can to make my teammates better and put them in the best position to score the basketball,” Brickman told Rappler.

In 2012, Brickman set a team record with 249 assists, while being hailed as part of the All-North Eastern Conference second team; he helped the Blackbirds reach the NCAA Tournament, though they fell to Michigan State in the first round.

“There was no pressure to get to 1,000 because I just went out and played my game every night. I knew that if I just played hard and listened to my coaches then the assists would come.”

From 2013 to 2014, Brickman led the entire league in assists with 8.5 APG and 10 APG, respectively, setting records in the process. It was an ecstatic feeling for him, now that his name stands way up there among the ranks of Bobby Hurley (1,076 assists), Chris Corchiani (1,038), and Ed Cota (1,030).

Ultimate goal: NBA

Brickman, a San Antonio, Texas native, resides in a dormitory in LIU Brooklyn with his teammates. His father Bruce and two brothers Justin and Jordan got him into basketball. They would play 2-on-2 pick up games, or 21, and got better everyday with dribbling and shooting drills. His younger brother Justin played for Bryant and was there to witness his record-setting game, together with their family. Jordan meanwhile, played for Navy.

Jason says he has been in the Philippines back when he was very young, although he doesn’t remember much of it.

Now that he’s already stamped his class in the NCAA ranks, he says it’s time to move forward and elevate his game into the pro level, eyeing a spot in professional basketball leagues around the globe. His ultimate goal though, would be making it to the NBA.

“My next goal is to play in the NBA. I am going to work hard and try to get into some NBA workouts. If I do not play there, I definitely want to continue playing somewhere overseas. Either somewhere in Europe or the PBA.” – Rappler.com