As confetti began to fall after Colegio de San Juan de Letran clinched the NCAA Season 98 crown last Sunday, the final buzzer also signaled the end of the college basketball careers of JC Cullar and Jimboy Pasturan.
The two veterans played out their final year of eligibility in Season 98 and were crucial to the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's campaign, which ended a 20-year Final Four and Finals drought.
While they may have given their all for the Blazers, Cullar and Pasturan did not start their college basketball careers at 2544 Taft Avenue, Manila.
Cullar was from the University of the East, while Pasturan was from Adamson University. Two different players from two different teams crossed their paths at one point in their careers and ended up having one goal in mind for their chosen home.
The Blazers captain said moving to Benilde was proof that one should not give up on chasing their dreams.
"It's a manifestation of what I have believed in na you only fail when you quit. When I got out of the UE program, it wasn't easy to accept as a player because I started questioning myself [about whether] I was good enough. I almost thought of giving up and going back to Italy, [and] find something else I could. Then Benilde called [and] took a chance on me," Cullar recalled to GMA Integrated News.
Pasturan, meanwhile, described his Benilde journey as a roller coaster ride.
"[Ang] masasabi ko lang, sobrang roller coaster ng collegiate career ko. [Ang] dami kong natutunan, 'di ko makalimutan to. The best talaga ang collegiate basketball," he said.
Both athletes acknowledged that their stay in Benilde was a period of personal growth.
"Since I got here, it has been a growth journey for me, [I have] become a better player, [and] a better person. I'm grateful that God has given me the chance to keep chasing my dream and become a better player," Cullar said.
"Personally, [ang] dami kong nakilala, [naging] more responsible ako sa Benilde. Sa teammates ko, tinulungan nila ako para mag-grow as a person," Pasturan added.
Now that the two players have closed another chapter in their basketball careers, Cullar and Pasturan are both grateful for the opportunity given to them by the Taft-based school.
"I'll always look back at my years in Benilde, and I'll always be thankful for what this program has done for me," Cullar said.
"Sobrang blessed ako to be a part of CSB," echoed Pasturan. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
