Bolick catches ‘Scottie Rebound’ fever, Finals MVP Thompson responds

MANILA, Philippines – There were a lot of eye-catching statlines in San Beda Red Lions’ 80-76 overtime thriller win against the scrappy Letran Knights last Friday, August 10.

There was top Knight Bong Quinto’s 21-point, 11-rebound, 4-assist effort in nearly 39 minutes of action. Reserve Red Lion AC Soberano dropped two threes for 6 crucial overtime points in just 4 minutes of game time.

And then there was Robert Bolick, who flirted with a triple-double after a 20-point, 11-board, 6-assist outing. This was the first time in NCAA Season 94 that the sweet-shooting point guard clinched double-digit numbers in boards, and against a big man-heavy Letran side, no less.

As it turns out, he was showing off for a former NCAA superstar. You may have heard of him – his name is Scottie Thompson, the former Perpetual Altas star and newly-crowned PBA Finals MVP for the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup champion Barangay Ginebra.

“Nakita niyo ‘yung mga ‘Scottie Rebound’ ko?” a beaming Bolick bragged to reporters post-game. “Bago kami nag-game noong Thursday, dami kong offensive rebounds. Sabi ko, magre-rebound nga ako sa Friday. Kung kaya ni Scottie, kaya ko rin!”

(Did you see my ‘Scottie Rebounds’? Before the game, last Thursday, I had a lot of offensive rebounds. So I said I’d try to rebound on Friday. If Scottie can do it, I can, too!)

“Scottie! Kita mo ba ‘yung mga rebound ko?” Bolick said in between laughs and rebound reenactments. “Kahit ginugulangan ko o tinutulak ko na, well ‘yun nga nga, tinutulungan ko lang ‘yung team.”

(Scottie! Did you see my rebounds? Even though I was already pushing around, well there, I just wanted to help out the team.)

Thompson, who rose to national fame after regularly beating massive PBA imports on the boards and flirting with triple-doubles with his all-around game, only had kind words to say in response.

“Nakaka-overwhelm at the same time, nakakatuwa,” said the soft-spoken guard before the Ginebra Fans Day and championship celebration in Ortigas last Sunday, August 12.

“Kasi andoon din ako sa paa nila dati na may nilu-look up akong PBA players habang naglalaro. Parang ang bilis lang ng panahon. Sobrang blessed [ako] na isa na ako sa mga nilu-look up nila as a player.”

(It’s overwhelming, but it makes me feel happy at the same time, because I was there too in their shoes before where I also looked up to PBA players while playing. It’s like time flies so fast. I’m just blessed that I’m already one of those whom they look up to as a player.)

The 6-foot-1 rebounding machine and 3-time PBA champ also shared that there really is no secret to his patented hustle on the court, and encouraged every Filipino lacking in height to not give up on their dreams.

“Parang ako na hindi katangkaran, para sa akin, everything starts in practice,” he said. “Kailangan nila mag-go hard sa practice, doing the extra work, doon naman talaga nagsisimula. At the same time, puso. Never say die attitude.”

(For me who’s not that tall, everything starts in practice. They need to go hard in practice and do the extra work, because that’s really where it all starts. At the same time, heart and a never say die attitude.)

Just as Thompson is now known as an elite hustle guy, Bolick may very well also carve his niche as a generational talent and clutch shooter from range. But of course, he’s polishing other areas of his craft, as well. A little bit of Scottie Rebound mentality will never hurt anyone, except maybe the guys they beat on the boards. – Rappler.com