Marc Pingris off the hardcourt

At 6’4” and with his mestizo French-Filipino looks, professional basketball player Jean Marc Pingris is a commanding presence both on and off-court. One of the stalwarts of the Gilas national team that bagged for the country a slot in the FIBA tournament in Spain and one of the most dominant players in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), he is a well-known personality in his own right, although most people know him as the husband of actress Danica Sotto and the son-in-law of Vic Sotto and Dina Bonnevie.

As a professional athlete, Marc is working hard to ensure the future of his children — five-year-old Mik and two-year-old Kayla. He wants to make the most of his remaining playing years. Now 32, Marc thinks he has five more years left before he finally hangs up his jersey. But this early, he and Danica are already taking steps to make sure that their children will be well-provided for. He’s not ashamed of his humble beginnings. “Oo, galing ako sa hirap,” he admits.

Marc doesn’t mind talking about his life; his only wish is that his children won’t have to go through the same things that he did. Born and raised in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan where his mother was a fruit vendor, Marc would get up early in the morning, travel by bus to Urdaneta to buy fruit, travel back to Pozorrubio, then go to school. After a full day of classes, he would go back to the market to help his mother pack up and go home. It was a hard life, but it prepared him well for the tough, disciplined life of a professional athlete.

He doesn’t mind people knowing these things about him, even (and maybe especially) his own children. “Okay lang naman na malaman nila; ang ayoko lang is maranasan nila ang naranasan ko,” he says.

That’s why Marc is working hard. He knows that he will have a lot of time to make up to his family once he retires from basketball. Right now, he’s focused on his playing career and the occasional endorsements that come his way, like his recently being named as one of the new celebrity spokespersons of the House of Obagi, along with actor-politician Alfred Vargas.

Marc and Alfred will be the faces of Obagi’s new campaign that focuses on men from different fields of endeavor. Marc appears in the brand’s collaterals with a non-celebrity girl; the idea behind the campaign is that people — including Marc — will take a second look at this girl because of how attractive this girl is “just because she went to House of Obagi.”

It’s refreshing to discover that despite his status as a superstar athlete, Marc still clings to the simple things in life. He doesn’t go out much, doesn’t like late nights, drinks the occasional glass of wine with Danica at home and would rather spend his free time bonding with his family. His idea of beauty is anchored on what is simple. When it comes to women, he says, “Gusto ko yung maayos, di ganoon kakapal ang make-up, natural lang, Filipina beauty talaga. Simple lang pumorma, ‘yung fresh, na ‘pag lumabas ng bahay, talagang lahat ng lalake mapapatingin sa kanya. For me, ‘dun mo makikita ang beauty ng girl, di sa make-up or damit. Sa simpleng ayos lang, dun lumalabas ang tunay na beauty.”

Needless to say, his wife fits that idea of beauty. When she arrived at the restaurant where this interview was held, Danica was dressed simply in basic colors of aqua and white, with her hair pulled back and her only adornment was a pair of earrings.

Marc reveals that as a husband, he really takes pains to nurture his relationship with Danica. Although they’ve been married for seven years, he still makes time for couple dates. “May time talaga na lumalabas kami na kami lang,” he says. “Di naman porke mag-asawa lang kayo, wala na. Minsan nga sa hotel kami natutulog, overnight lang. Hindi naman dapat mawala sa isang relasyon ‘yon kahit ilan pa ang anak n’yo.”

Danica watches almost all his games and prays for him each time he’s on court. Marc is grateful for his wife’s support. “Blessed ako na yung wife ko nandiyan, nagpa-pray para sa akin.”

He is grateful, too, for the many people that support him. It is for them that he tries to do his best every time he is on court — and that is the way it will always be.