Hontiveros Called it: PBA in 2000

Did you know that when he was twelve years old, Dondon Hontiveros predicted that he would be playing in the PBA by the year 2000? Proving that coming from a small basketball program outside the big city wasn’t a hindrance to making it big, Hontiveros banked on a “trust the process” approach to achieve his dreams, baring his story on “Idol Talk,” the weekly online webcast of the MVPSF Youth League.

Hontiveros started taking basketball seriously when he grew taller and saw a lot of playing time as a senior in Don Bosco Technical College-Cebu, a school known more for its winning football program. Ranking himself outside the top 15 high school players of the Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA) then, Hontiveros shared that he was below average as a player up against the more popular high school players then like Stephen Padilla, Aldrin Ocañada, Alex Cainglet and Juvenile Yu. Moreover, Don Bosco was never considered a title contender. He had to slowly but surely make his way to the top, a trip that included a number of road blocks along the way. Setting his sights for Manila, he planned to try out for UST and Mapua, but he fractured his forearm while going for a dunk during warm-ups in an exhibition game. Part of the process was being patient and going to the sea for therapy for his injury

He spent his college freshman year at the University of San Jose Recoletos before getting a call to try out for the basketball team of the University of Cebu (UC). He got his big break in 1995 when he was sent in as a substitute in his first ever CAAA collegiate game and scored 25 points. He recalls the advice given to him by UC team manager Atty. Baldomero Estenzo as he was called off the bench, “If you’re open, shoot.” Estenzo had noticed that Hontiveros was a marksman in practice who practiced his outside shot religiously, a process he now cites as part of being designated as a spot-up shooter. He also recalls being benched even after averaging in double digits during the season. “Certain things will humble you and those kind of games (sitting on the bench) make you stronger,” he said. He had continued honing his skills while also playing for Sunpride, a touring commercial basketball team that saw him team up with players from the University of the Visayas (UV) and veterans like John Ferriols, another facet that he claims gave him the much-needed confidence and experience.

A star is born. After playing for UC for two years, the next step of his journey was joining the Cebu Gems of the now defunct MBA in 1998 where he was one of the biggest stars of the league. With the help of ABS-CBN’s coverage, Hontiveros turned into a nationwide personality, winning the MBA Discovery of the year award. Remembering how his stock improved while playing for the Gems, he noted, “Suerte kami at that time. Kami ang nag benefit sa process. To represent your city, ang sarap ng feeling.”

Moving to the PBA was but only a natural next step as he joined a Tanduay side that brought in a team to the league via a direct-hire system in the year 2000. It was then that he recalled an essay that he once wrote in school when he was a 12-year old four-foot-eleven dreamer in 1989. The question raised by the teacher then was what will they be in the year 2000. Hontiveros wrote in his essay, “By then, I will be in the PBA.” He had also played for San Miguel, Air 21, and Alaska, and had stints with the Philippine national team, including a silver medal finish at the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup.

When asked to recap his career, he described it as a series of going through the process moments. “If you’re trying to enjoy the journey like going to practice, excited ka. You have to enjoy the process. You have to go through that daily ‘kapuy’ (getting tired) where you find joy in that challenge everyday,” he said. He added that at the end of a practice week, one should be able to say that he or she is a better player than he or she was on Monday.

“I’m just an ordinary kid na nabigyan ng chance, took advantage of the opportunities; if you make the most of what you have right now, eventually magkakaroon ka ng break. Ordinary kids kami doing things extraordinarily. Hindi kami ang pinakamagaling. If you think of yourself as pinakamagaling, then wala ka ng room for growth.”

Not bad for someone who one day dreamed and dared to predict his own basketball future.

Photo: Idol Talk (MVPSF Youth League-Cebu Facebook Page)