More than Heart: Marc Pingris' Impact on Gilas Pilipinas

Whether you are a fan of him or not, there won't be stories to tell about the Gilas Pilipinas if you don't mention the name of Marc Pingris. After all, Pingris is the perfect personification of Gilas' battle cry, "Puso!" And the fact that Pingris survived 16 months of not playing ball due to an unfortunate combination of MCL and ACL injuries he sustained within the span of 10 months from March 2018 to January last year says something Ping's determination to keep on going despite the odds. While his numbers went down understandably as he normed 4 points and 4 rebounds in the 11 games that he played in the 2019 Governors' Cup, there's no doubt in everyone's minds that Pingris still has the experience and the tricks to keep him relevant in today's brand of basketball.

And that's the primary reason for his surprise inclusion to the 24-man pool of Gilas Pilipinas who will be playing against Thailand and Indonesia in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. While everyone else was surprised by this inclusion, none was more surprised than Pingris himself. After all, the initial pool also included Japeth Aguilar, Christian Standhardinger, Troy Rosario, rookies Isaac Go, Mike Nieto, Allyn Bulanadi and yes, incoming Ateneo rookie, Dwight Ramos. So why did SBP include a 38-year old Pingris into a pool that is loaded with young guns?

Tab Baldwin has the simple answer to that.

Pingris is the perfect example of dedication and commitment in terms of playing for your flag. Baldwin said that he and Pingris have spoken even before Pingris' inclusion and said that Pingris was the best example of a committed and dedicated player he was ever around in his several stints with Gilas. In addition to this, Gilas Pilipinas is not only preparing for the FIBA Asia Cup but also, for playing in front of the home crowd when the Philippines hosts the 2023 FIBA World Cup so according to the 3-time UAAP champion coach, Gilas needs to develop a culture of relief, dedication and, commitment. So what is the impact of having Marc Pingris on the national team?

Tab Baldwin said that Pingris' presence will bridge the Gilas team of the past and the current Gilas squad. And, with some of the best big guys in the PBA injured, the national team needs all the big men it can get and believe it or not, Tab Baldwin still believes that the 38-year old Marc Pingris still has a basketball value, especially for the national team. 

Don't be surprised if Marc Pingris will don the national colors again against Thailand and Indonesia later this month. 

Photo is from GMA News