Air Ball

Special Chapter: The Next King Tiger

Special Chapter: The Next King Tiger

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The referee's whistle sounded as he signalled a timeout for the Growling Tigers.

"Jeric, your spot is here. Aljon, when Tata inbounds you the ball, you go here to the top of the key fake and distract the defense then pass the ball back to Jeric to shoot the ball. Karim, you stay here and stop the other rebounders just in case. Kevin, you'll be here on the other side to support Karim. Tata, you'll be on the corner. Once Kevin or Karim gets the rebound they will pass it to you. Shoot the ball." Coach Pido instructed as he marked the playing board to show us where our places would be on the court. This is it: the last play. Everything we've worked on this season, it all comes down to this.

Six seconds. That's how much time we have to execute the last play. We were signalled to return to the court. I made one last prayer that we make this. "This is going to be our year" I thought to myself. Once Tata passed me the ball, I dribbled my way to the top of the key. I was ready to fake the shot but I felt that it was mine to take. The ball felt right in my hands and even though I had an off night, something in me urged me to take the last shot. The clutch cat in me said "I've done this before, I know I can do this again."

I released the ball and watched it make its way to the rim and I felt it was going in. I had a good look, a good angle. This was it: redemption. Not only for this night but for all the other nights that I couldn't play my one-hundred percent. It was redemption for the lackluster season I had when compared to my performance last season. This was it.

But as the ball touched the edge of the rim and bounced away, all hope of redeeming myself went out of the window. Karim and Kevin were outrebounded by AVO and Norbert. With the shot clock winding down to the final seconds of regulation, the green crowd was already cheering. They staged a big comeback from a fifteen-point deficit in the halftime and now, they sent the game to overtime. I hardly heard the sound of the buzzer. If Kevin hadn't tapped me, I would have been left standing there in the same spot where I took the last shot.

The disappointment on Coach Pido's eyes was undeniable. Disappointment because we were almost there. Six seconds and a basket was all we needed to repeat our 2006 feat. I couldn't bear to look at the yellow crowd. I can feel their eyes on me. Some bear sadness, some bear anger while some bear hopelesness. It was too painful to think that I have caused it, that I have hurt the Thomasian community.

The overtime began and we were exchanging baskets. As I caught my tenth rebound of the game from LA's miss, two La Sallian defenders were suddenly on me. Desperately looking for someone to pass the ball to, I saw Kevin and immediately threw a bounce pass. Unfortunately, the angle was off and even with his outstretched hands, he wasn't be able to get a hold of it. That turnover gave the possession back to La Salle which Almond inconveniently converted to two points. The missed last shot, a crucial turnover. Those were the last two things running in my mind when I saw the game clock ticking down. Coach Pido called the final timeout. Two and a half second left. I couldn't even listen to Coach Pido's final play anymore. All I could think about was how utterly disappointed I was with myself.

The next few seconds were a blur: The referee's whistle blew. Jeric inbounded the ball and Karim took a desperate last shot which was not his usual range. The final buzzer sounded.

I heard screaming and cheering but it was not from the crowd that I was facing. The crowd I was facing showed a single emotion: heartbreak. I saw Jeric kneeling on the floor. This was supposed to be his and Tata's victory party, the grand send-off for the King Tiger and our 3-pt King. I saw Kevin sitting by the ads with tears freely flowing from his eyes. I saw Tata with his head down, willing himself not to cry. I saw Karim, his towel on his face. I knew our Big Man well, he is also crying. When I looked at Coach Pido, the tears I have been trying to hold broke free. His face was devoid of any emotion but his eyes told a different story. It was the eyes of a man who almost had the gold, only to have it slip away as it grazed his fingertips.

It was over. Our season was over. Jeric's words on our game two loss replayed over and over in my head. "No one is going to remember that we were back-to-back second place". This is what hurt the most. That we were so close, and yet we failed again. I couldn't help but blame myself. Who wouldn't, right? I made a bad decision and I crumbled under pressure. I could have done it any other night and it would be forgivable, but not tonight.

As we were making our way back to the UST bus, I couldn't stop my tears from falling. I wept on Ed's back because I don't know if I can still support myself. I felt weak and drained. That was it, our heartbreaking ending. With all the injuries and the do-or-die games, we couldn't complete the Cinderella story. Sorry, UST.

I was aware of all the criticisms and hate I got with how I played this season and most especially, how I played in the final game. What broke me was that most were from my fellow Thomasians. I couldn't blame them though. I made a bad decision and an error. It was either I be the hero or the villain. But to question my integrity as a player? It was heartbreaking. That was what hit home - to be doubted by the very people you sacrificed a lot for. It was like a clean sheet of paper with a little dot on the side and all the people could see was that little dot. They forget all the great games you played and only see the bad games. I will be remembered as the guy who missed the last shot but not the guy who made the three-point shot against FEU that sent the game to overtime to keep our Final Four bid alive. I will be remembered as the guy who made a bad pass, but not the guy who made clutch shots against Adamson and Ateneo, or the guy who made eight assists against UE when the others were having an off game. I will be remembered as the guy who was one and six from the field, but not the guy who got ten rebounds.

My season-long injury was something not known to many and I intended to keep it that way. There should be no excuses. I chose to play and I owe it to the Thomasian community to give it my all, even if it meant holding off surgery.

These are the dark times of my playing career but I know in the future this will make me stronger, wiser, better. These criticisms will be the fuel for my drive to recover easily, up my game, and improve my all-around performance. I will prove all the haters wrong and return the favor to those who supported me. For all the people who never lost faith in me and is still believing in me, I cannot thank you enough for making me feel that not everyone has left me. Your words of encouragement through text, Twitter, FB, and even post-it notes on my car help me get through this. I am a Growling Tiger, wounded but not dead.

Watch out everyone. I'm going to come back stronger, braver, greater. Aljon Mariano, Power Forward, Jersey #10, University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers. I'll be back and I'm gonna roar louder. I'll be your Next King Tiger.

*wink*

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A/N: So I've been meaning to do an Aljon Mariano fan fic/one shot since after the UAAP Finals to explain how I saw his side. Like I said, this is just a fan fiction. This has no complete factual basis and just an opinion of how I see it. But I really am holding on to the belief that he'll be the next King Tiger.

Oh yeah, I'm not really sure when (and if) I'll continue The King Tiger. I have two stories in the works (Expected, but not really, and Of Changes and New Beginnings). Maybe I'll continue this when I finish one. Thanks for reading! ♥