A Future King Eagle or More: Padrigao's Game will Bring Him Places

For a kid who decided to go from a Baby Falcon to a true Blue Eaglet, you can't deny the that Forthsky Padrigao's journey as a basketball player has been one of the most inspiring stories involving a player who hails from Zamboanga. And yes, Padrigao has been one of the future stars not just of the Ateneo basketball program but of the Philippine basketball too. After all, he already represented the country in various FIBA-sanctioned tournaments and is predicted to become of the core players of Gilas Pilipinas in the coming years. He even ranked 8th among all players in assists during the FIBA Under-17 World Cup last year. In other words, Padrigao's name will be remembered not just in the local scene but in FIBA events.

In his recently concluded campaign in Season 82 of the UAAP Juniors' Division, Forthsky Padrigao has undergone another change in his basketball career. Over the last few seasons, Padrigao has been serving as the Blue Eaglets' floor general as they had big guys like Kai Sotto and Geo Chiu taking care of things on the offensive. With Kai Sotto now taking his chances in the United States and with Chiu now becoming the heir apparent to Isaac Go in the seniors' team, the Blue Eaglets needed someone to take the scoring lead. And that's where Padrigao entered the equation.

In Season 82, Padrigao took the pilot's seat for the Blue Eaglets as he averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and led the league in steals with 3 steals per contest. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for Padrigao and the Blue Eaglets as they were booted out from the step-ladder format by the same team Padrigao left for Ateneo- the Adamson Baby Falcons. That is despite the fact that Ateneo led as much as 17 points in the contest.

Fortunately for Padrigao, he took the defeat as another learning experience as he pointed out that he himself has a lot to work on his game including his defense and decision-making. For a guy who has been tagged as one of the future stars of Philippine basketball, that's a nice mindset to have as that will help him not just next season but in his collegiate career.

And in case you don't know, Forthsky Padrigao, like his former teammate in Kai Sotto, has been invited to join the Basketball Without Boarders camp during this year's NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago after Padrigao was named MVP among 66 of the best young players from 16 countries in Asia. Had he decided to join the said camp, he would have joined Sotto. But no, he decided to stay put in Katipunan Avenue to continue playing for Ateneo. Despite the loss, Padrigao has no regrets in his decision.

Fortunately for Padrigao, he has one more season in high school and with the fact that his performance in the international competitions he played in has been noticed by scouts around the globe, it won't be long until invitations come reining down for Padrigao. Or, he will become a fully-grown, fully-groomed King Eagle once he steps into the collegiate level.

Either way, the future of this kid is already bright. Both here and abroad. 

Photo is from Rappler