Matthew Wright
Gilas Pilipinas (GP) rookie Matthew Wright made waves at the recent Seaba (Southeast Asian Basketball Association) championship where his team bagged the gold medal. The 26-year-old Filipino-Canadian player is movie-star material.
He could pass for Epy Quizon’s brother. The Phoenix Fuel Masters cager is PBA’s (Philippine Basketball Association) newest sensation. With all the “Wright” moves on the hardcourt, Matthew is a shoo-in for Rookie of The Year.
Here’s my chat with Matthew:
What was your first Gilas experience like? Very successful. I gained a lot of experience, confidence and, most importantly, another gold medal for my collection of basketball-related awards.
As a rookie, what challenges you the most? I’m now being scouted by teams, and I am still finding ways to play my game when other teams know what my strengths are. Staying consistent is the challenge.
What are your pregame rituals? What I do before games is a secret. The only thing I can tell you is, I take a pregame nap and try to eat healthy on game days.
What’s the craziest thing that a fan did for you? A fan made a mural of me with hundreds of pixelated pictures making up the whole image.
What are you like off the court? I am reserved and I try to keep a low profile. As I put in my Instagram account (@papichino111), I’m an antisocial extrovert. I hang out with a select group of people and spend my time reading history books or watching educational documentaries.
Would you be willing to join show biz? As of now, I’m fully invested in becoming a professional basketball player. I have no time for any extra activity.
Tell us about your girlfriend, Gabriela Moscoso. How do you handle your long-distance relationship? She’s an amazing woman for being able to keep up with my lifestyle. We’ve been “long distance” for a while now, yet she remains supportive and understanding. We communicate as often as possible… we hope to “shorten” the distance soon and live together.
How do you handle hecklers and bad calls of referees? I don’t even bother paying attention to hecklers because they won’t ever say things to my face like they do in the stands or in social media. It’s part of the game. I don’t handle bad referee calls well, but I have to learn to let it go and keep playing.
If you were a PBA coach, who would your “starting five” be? Jio Jalalon, Japeth Aguilar, Junmar Fajardo, Stanley Pringle and Calvin Abueva.
‘Kalyeserye’ lives on
It’s been months since “Eat Bulaga’s” “kalyeserye” was last seen on television. Fans of the show in the United States were able to see the crew back in action via “KS sa US,” featuring AlDub and the Lolas at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, and at the Kings Theatre in New York. Due to public clamor, Eat Bulaga might bring back the segment or create a spinoff. AlDubracadabra!
PERSONAL: Happy birthday to one of my fave PBA cagers, my good friend PJ Simon.