An Ode to The Blur

If Jayson Castro will not don the Gilas Pilipinas uniform for good anymore, boy what a love story it was.

Prior to his “I do” to long-time partner Lyle, the pride of Pampanga was married to basketball. It was a bittersweet relationship that brought him glory, recognition, and even frustration. Just like any fruitful partnership, he gave his best to raise our status in the sport internationally.

He has been representing the country since 2004 when he became part of the youth squad. Three years later, he took home the gold in the Southeast Asian Games. However, the former PCU Dolphin was just getting started. As he was grinding in the Philippine Basketball Association, he was called up by Coach Chot Reyes to play for the nation in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

It was a romantic moment that endeared him to the sport and to the Filipino fans. Opponents didn’t know what hit them when the long-time TNT Katropa point guard danced his way to the hole and punctured the hoop with his marksmanship from the perimeter. When all else fails, a dash of speed helped him breeze through the defense.

Castro was at his best in breaking the Philippines’ basketball curse against South Korea. He led Gilas with 17 points to clinch a gold medal berth against Iran and book a spot at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. Unfortunately, his 18 markers in the championship match was not enough to topple the Iranians. But while they failed to bag the title in front of a passionate home crowd, his exploits merited him a spot at the tournament’s Mythical Five.

The third pick in the 2008 PBA Draft became the number one point guard in Asia. It would be a distinction that he owned for four years because he was named to the 2015 FIBA Asia Mythical Selection once more.

Take your choice in his best game in the competition. Is it his 21-point outing against Hong Kong? Or maybe his 26-point explosion in a victory over Iran in the second round? Perhaps his 25-point performance in the quarterfinals against Lebanon? Or possibly his 20-point, seven-assist game in the semifinal clash against Japan? These are the moments that made Castro’s love story with basketball worth cherishing for.

After seven years of devoting his time and talent to the sport, he now shifts to the next phase of his life. It’s not that he won’t play ball anymore. It’s just that The Blur might have played his last game for the national team. Besides, a promising crop of young point guards led by Kiefer Ravena and Robert Bolick are ready to take the mantle from him.

Mr. William, as his Gilas jersey reads, willed himself to deliver nothing but excellence on the hard court. Now, he deserves to have less of it because there is nothing left to prove. His priority may have shifted from country to family, but his basketball journey won’t end for good yet. After all, first love never dies.