Converge FiberXers big man Justin Arana was having arguably his best conference thus far in the PBA, and his superb showing was aptly rewarded as, for the first time ever, he earned a Gilas Pilipinas call‑up.
Naturally, the 6‑foot‑7 big is thrilled by the opportunity, which he described as “once in a lifetime.” Arana is so excited for his shot, in fact, that he has vowed to give as much as “200 percent” to the national team’s cause.
“This is big. This is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity for me,” Arana told reporters during Gilas Pilipinas’ press conference at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Monday. “…’Di ko talaga sasayangin ‘yung opportunity na makasali rito. Ready lang talaga ako kung ano man yung role ko sa team. Bibigay ko lang ‘yung 200%.”
As of this writing, Tim Cone has not announced the final lineups for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Games, but it is likely Justin Arana will not be part of the latter with Kai Sotto and AJ Edu as the main bigs and June Mar Fajardo as the third center. However, the bruising FiberXer should be in the running for the Asiad team, which will consist exclusively of PBA players.
Adjustment Period for Justin Arana
While excited for the opportunity, the former Arellano Chiefs stalwart acknowledged that he is still learning Cone’s intricate and precise system. For that, he is leaning on Converge teammates Justine Baltazar and Juan Gomez De Liaño, who both were part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that competed in Window 3 of the qualifiers.
“Kailangan ko lang talagang araw‑araw matutunan ‘yung program. Hindi ko talaga makukuha in one day ‘yung system,” Arana admitted. “[Pero] dahil sa maturity and chemistry namin sa Converge, kaunting adjustment na lang. Tulad nung first day, talagang gina‑guide nila ako. So, sobrang laking bagay, sobrang daling mag‑adjust dahil sa kanilang dalawa.”
At the moment, it remains to be seen if Justin Arana will actually suit up in either Window 4 or in the Asian Games. But whatever happens, the big man from Converge now knows he is at that level already.
