CHANGSHA – Para kay Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin, ang makulit na si Calvin Abueva ang naging pangunahing dahilan ng kanilang panalo sa Iran dahil sa kanyang enerhiya at intensidad higit pa sa kanyang naitala sa stats sheet.
Bagama’t wala namang naipuntos, pi-nuri din ni Baldwin si forward Marc Pingris bunga ng matinding depensang ibinigay nito kina Iranian forwards Oshin Sahakian at Saberi Hassanzadeh.
“They made the big difference defensively,” sabi ni Baldwin kina Abueva at Pingris.
Tinukoy din ng Gilas mentor kung gaano kaespesyal na player si Abueva.
“He never stands still, he never watches a game, many players do. Calvin is always on an attack mode, be it on getting the rebound, attacking the defense and on guarding an opponent,” wika ni Baldwin. “That’s the way he plays and I think he can play for 15 years. Calvin is Calvin,” dagdag pa nito.
Sinabi pa ng Gilas mentor na sina Abueva at Pingris ang nagpahirap sa mga tinatawag niyang “extra-ordinary players.”