Why Ginebra’s Arvin Tolentino wants to change his reputation

For a basketball career that’s only gone as far as a a few official professional games, Arvin Tolentino’s story already includes quite the twists and turns. 

Back in 2014, Tolentino was one of the nation’s top high school recruits during his senior season with the San Beda Red Cubs, which catapulted him to having his pick of recruiting college programs. 

He eventually settled with Ateneo and enjoyed a fruitful first campaign by winning UAAP Rookie of the Year. Though he hit the sophomore wall in the following season, he still helped lead the Blue Eagles back to the Final Four.

After Ateneo hired Tab Baldwin, the expectation was for Tolentino’s potential to be unleashed. But that was stalled when academic issues forced Arvin and 6 other teammates to look for new schools. One of those other student-athletes was CJ Perez, who’s now a household name in the PBA.

Tolentino then transferred to FEU. In his first go, the Tamaraws almost halted the Blue Eagles’ current dynasty before it even started by nearly upsetting them as a No. 4 seed in the Final Four. 

His final year of eligibility was the most tumultuous, as Tolentino was suspended 3 games for flagrant fouls on Adamson’s Sean Manganti and UST’s Zach Huang. Unfair or not – and he felt the former – criticism emerged of him being a “dirty player.” 

He gained retribution by nailing a game-winner to propel FEU past rival La Salle for the last Final Four slot in 2018, but the Tams would provide no challenge to the Blue Eagles, leading to Arvin’s final bow.

Nearly two years later, Tolentino is playing for the PBA’s most popular franchise, Ginebra. Playing only his third game in the PBA bubble, the native of Angono, Rizal had his best showing of 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes, which drew praise from legendary head coach Tim Cone. 

“Hindi naman sasabihin ni coach Tim na yung mga yun kung wala siyang nakikitang potential eh, so for me, para masuklian yung trust and tiwala ni coach, I have to perform better and para magawa ko yun I have to work hard and try to be better everyday,” Tolentino said in the latest episode of At the Buzzer.

(Coach Tim won’t say those things if he doesn’t see potential, so for me, I just want to repay his trust, I have to perform better and for me to do that, I have to work hard and try to be better everyday.)

At 6-foot-5 with the shooting prowess of a perimeter player, Tolentino, the 10th pick in the PBA Draft, has the tools to succeed in this level. 

His style of play did not perfectly fit the requirements of his slotman responsibilities in college, but in the pros, where he can excel as a tall, floor-spacing small forward playing next to bigs Japeth Aguilar and Joe Devance, his role is tailor-made for his abilities.

More importantly, Tolentino is at the best he’s ever been mentally. During the coronavirus lockdown, he lived with former PBA player Doug Kramer, now his brother-in-law, which helped prepare his body and mind for the grind of being a pro player. 

Then in July, he married his longtime girlfriend Brandy Kramer to set roots. 

Both have proved monumental in Tolentino’s goal to change his reputation by, in his own words, “being better.”

“Yun yung natatak sa isip ko. Yun yung gusto kong baguhin,” was Tolentino’s answer to the query if one of his missions entering the PBA is to alter the perception of him. 

“Alam naman natin na yun yung tingin sa akin ng mga tao, di ba? So for me, kung ano man yung nasa past, yun na yun eh; wala na akong magagawa. Yun na yung nakasulat, di mo na mabubura yun eh. So ang importante sa akin… is yung now.”

(That’s what’s in my mind. That’s what I want to change. We know that’s how people see me, right? So for me, whatever happened in the past, that’s it. I can’t do anything about it. It has been written, you can’t erase it. So what’s important for me now is the present.)

“Yun lagi kong sinasabi sa sarili ko na parang nag cheat ako sa sarili ko because of those things –  yung mga naging habit ko, what I’ve done before. Kumbaga binabawian ko yung sarili ko to do good things naman para for me to improve [and] to do better everyday.”

(I always tell myself that it’s like I cheated on myself because of those things – my habits, what I’ve done before. So I want to make up for it by doing good things, for me to improve and to do better everyday.)

Tolentino, who believes “he’s doing pretty good” about his goal, also wants to change the belief of some coaches who characterize him as “Tamad ‘yan (Lazy).”

Having his FEU head coach, Olsen Racela, as part of Ginebra’s coaching staff has helped Tolentino transition successfully to Cone’s triangle offense, which was part of Racela’s game plan with the Tamaraws. 

Tolentino has also found support in assistant coach Kirk Collier, who’s taken a mentorship role for Arvin. 

“Coach Kirk, he’s a big help for me because he’s always there to train me [and] to make me better.”

But what does being better mean, exactly?

“Gusto kong alisin yung mga habits ko before, yun yung gusto kong gawin,” explained Tolentino. “Kasi feeling ko di ako nakapagfocus sa sarili ko before. I have to work double-time para sa akin, para sa sarili ko.”

(I want to get rid of my habits before, that’s what I want to do. I feel that I didn’t really focus on myself before. I have to work double-time for myself.)

In other words, according to Arvin, it’s about being “wiser.” – Rappler.com

Arvin Tolentino reflects on his journey from Rizal to the PBA, how it was like living with the Kramers, his relationships with Ginebra teammates, and what the bubble is like for PBA players in the rest of the episode.

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