Have you ever imagined playing 1-on-1 against your childhood hero? The person you’ve always looked up to and modeled your game after?
In the 4th story of the PBA @ 50 series, we will look back on what a lot of people thought would just be another regular game in 2013, but to everyone’s surprise, it became a showdown for two of the league’s most exciting players to watch.
Rebanse proudly presents the “Mark Caguioa vs Terrence Romeo” showdown.
1. Humble Beginnings: Mark Caguioa’s Influence
Let’s be honest, every one of us has dreamt of playing against our basketball idols.
Whether it’ll be one of the NBA’s greatest players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James or the best local players in the PBA like James Yap, Sonny Jaworski, or Jayson Castro.
For the young Terrence Romeo, though, it was the “Spark” Mark Caguioa. I mean, who wouldn’t?!
His crossovers were lethal, he was a little bit undersized for the shooting guard position, but he can still score on any defender, is a high-volume scorer, and was very influential among Barangay Ginebra fans in the 2000s.
Ridiculously, it felt like he was the Filipino version of Allen Iverson at some point.
Romeo’s college stint in the UAAP representing the Far Eastern University during the early 2010s, a lot has compared his game to the young Caguioa based on his crossovers, slightly boastful attitude and swag-ful aura that he gives.
He admits that he is a big fan of The Spark, mentioning that he really tries to mimic some of the moves that his basketball hero does.
Until the PBA 2013 Rookie Draft happened and the Globalport Batang Pier selected Terrence Romeo as their 5th overall pick.
2. A Showdown to Remember
Last November 28, 2013, in what seemed to be just another regular game in the 2013 Philippine Cup between Globalport and Ginebra, something spectacular occurred.
It was actually the first time in his life that Romeo would ever face his childhood idol. And so, in order to make a statement and for this night to be remembered, he took over the offense for his team.
Romeo went berserk as he scored 22 of his team-high 27 points in the second half, making the game a “one-man show” as his team was down as much as 21 points at some point in the 3rd quarter.
Little did he know, the 34-year-old Caguioa wouldn’t back down so easily.
In the 4th quarter, it was Mark Caguioa’s time to take over Ginebra’s offense. He was making shot after shot after shot. Taking the young gun to school with his step-back crossovers and fadeaways. Whether it was Romeo guarding him, he was giving Globalport buckets.
Heck at some point in the game, the 5-on-5 became a 1-on-1.
Either of the players are refusing to pass the ball to their teammates, they just wanted to show out who’s a better player.
In the end, Globalport wasn’t pulling any upset against Ginebra, who improved the standings with 3 straight wins and the Batang Pier suffering a 1-2 win-loss record.
Caguioa finished with 29 points in only 28 minutes
Romeo finished with 27 points in only 25 minutes.
The Ginebra franchise player even added 4 assists and even shot 8-of-13 from the field, while the rookie also made an incredible 11-of-16 field goal shooting.
3. Nothing But Respect
“Di ko po maipaliwang yung nandun lang sa katawan ko. Sobrang idol ko po si Kuya Mark at nakalaban ko siya ng ganun. Even kahit naka-side na tira niya nasu-shoot niya pa rin,” says Terrence Romeo via spin.ph
“I told Terrence to keep it up. He’s a good kid, but at the same time, he’s ready for the challenge. He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” said Caguioa, also in a report of spin.ph
The showdown of these players has made such an impact on Philippine Basketball itself that young hoopers are now holding on to their dream of not just playing in the PBA when they get old but rather having a classic performance just like what Terrence Romeo did against Mark Caguioa.
For an even better experience of this electrifying matchup, here are their highlights:
(also please, watch the interview of Caguioa at the end to have an idea how confident he sounds after battling against a rookie)
