James Yap and his humble beginnings

"Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" is a weekly news magazine show hosted by Jessica Soho, one of the most awarded broadcast journalists in the Philippines. For more information, follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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It is no secret that the Philippines is a basketball-crazy country.

For decades, fans have put countless Filipino basketball players on a pedestal. They are regarded as heroes and, sometimes, celebrities whose lives are open to public scrutiny.

But at the end of the day, many of these hardcourt superstars are just like us, ordinary people — and once in their lives, they had nothing but their dreams and the courage to make them come true.

In James Yap’s case, the dream started on the streets of Escalante, Negros Occidental.

James spent his younger days in the province, juggling academics with his fondness for sports. Aside from his high school basketball team, he used to play hoops with random tricycle drivers in their neighborhood who also challenged him to beat older guys on shooting.

He gained his fellow Negrenses’ respect with those small victories but James never thought that someday, he would be a star player that the whole country would look up to.



Fast forward to twenty years: there he was — sitting at an elegant restaurant and relating his story to award-winning journalist Jessica Soho. A week ago, he was declared as the Most Valuable Player in the recently-concluded 2014 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Finals. It was already his fourth MVP title in his PBA career.

What’s his secret to success? “Hindi pumapasok sa isip ko kung sino na ako. Hindi ko ipinapasok sa isip ko na MVP ako.”

Big Game James

One dunk during a fastbreak game at the Metropolitan Basketball Association finals in 2000 was all it took for James to get the attention of college basketball coaches. He was just visiting Manila for the tournament back then.

“Lahat ng tao talagang nagsigawan,” James reminisced, the amazement still in his face.

In the end, he chose to leave his beloved province to play for University of the East. James was lucky to have a loving family who supported him with his career-related decisions.
 

He didn’t disappoint the first people who believed in his potential. During his stint as a Red Warrior, James proved that he is one of the best shooters of his batch.

He also played in the Philippine Basketball League and represented the Philippines in various basketball tournaments abroad, including the Southeast Asian Games in 2003.

In 2004, the simple guy from Escalante joined the PBA Draft. He was selected by Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, he’s on his 10th year of his professional basketball career and currently a shooting guard for San Mig Super Coffee Mixers.

Does he have any rituals, like special workouts or a strict diet, before his games? “Wala, kung ano lang ‘yung normal na ginagawa ko.”

James, like any other successful athlete, could attest: discipline is an integral part of maintaining longevity in one’s chosen field.

“Kapag ongoing ang conference, hindi kami pumupunta sa bar,” James added.

Looking back at his entire career, all James felt was gratitude: “Thankful talaga ako sa basketball, kasi binago niya talaga ‘yung buhay ko.”

Still not used to all the attention

Standing 6 feet 3 inches, James is surprisingly meek and low-key.

“Hindi ako sanay sa mga ganito,” the 32-year-old basketball superstar said, glancing at the cameras the “Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho” crew set up around him.

Does his innate shyness affect his performance in the hardcourt? “Sa court wala ka nang maririnig eh,” James pointed out. “Kahit malakas ‘yung sigawan, ‘yung distractions, hindi mo gaanong mapapansin.”

When it comes to boosting his confidence, James gives the credit to his supporters: “‘Yung cheer ng fans nakakadagdag ng adrenaline mo eh. Mas ginaganahan kang maglaro,” he said.



The future

Career-wise, James has already accomplished a lot but it seems we would still see him on the hardcourt for a long time. “Siguro nasa 6 years pa, tapos retire na ‘ko,” Big Game James declared.

What are his plans after PBA? “Mag-model. Ramp model!” James joked, revealing the basketball superstar’s less serious side.

“Hindi naman ako habang buhay na player,” he immediately followed. “Nagsisimula na ‘ko ng negosyo ko, ‘yung motorcycle sales.”

When asked about his earnings, James remained humble and said, “tama lang, nakakakain naman ng tatlong beses sa isang araw.”

Indeed, this basketball superstar is still the same guy who wowed college basketball coaches 14 years ago — quiet and unassuming, but brimming with possibilities.

And when he seized his fourth MVP title, James once again proved to his legions of followers that with hard work and discipline, success is never a long shot — no matter who you are or where you came from. — ARP, GMA News
 
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