Telfair stays humble in millionaires row

PORTLAND, Oregon — It’s not often you come across a multi-millionaire athlete like Sebastian Telfair whose feet remain firmly on the ground despite a blossoming National Basketball Association (NBA) career that’s supported by footwear giant Adidas.

Telfair, 20, finished several hours of hard practice early Saturday afternoon and instead of rushing home to rest, kept his promise to meet the San Beda College team on a visit here for winning the Adidas Asian Streetball finals this year.

The night before, Telfair equaled his career-high eight assists as the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a six-game losing streak to upend the New Orleans Hornets, 98-96, in overtime at the Rose Garden. The Blazers were scheduled to play the Houston Rockets at home yesterday.

Driving his $275,000 two-door white Bentley with brother Bubba, Telfair went straight from practice to the Adidas offices for his appointment with the Filipinos.

Telfair recognized the San Beda players and embraced them one by one as he entered the third floor meeting room in the "blue" Tokyo ’64 Olympic building on the 11-acre property called the Adidas Village. Last September, Telfair was in Manila to witness the Adidas Asian Streetball Finals where the San Beda team beat West Negros College for the title.

"How’s it going, Baby Shaq?" he beamed as 6-3, 210-pound teenager Jay-R Taganas was surprised the Portland star remembered him. Taganas, Borgie Hermida, Eduardo Tecson and Bam-Bam Gamalinda played on the 18-and-under team that earned this trip to the US.

After patiently posing for pictures and signing autographs, Telfair ate a late lunch of greens, an oversized ham sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie at about 3:30 p.m. He sat down with the Filipino players and talked hoops during lunch.

"He hung out with us in Manila because we knew how to speak English," said San Beda coach Rene Baena. "That’s why he remembered us."

Baena said Telfair talked about the Blazers, his family and even his love life with the players like they were old friends.

"Sabi ni Bassy (his nickname), the Blazers are still jelling and they’re struggling because they’ve got a lot of new players and seven of them never went to a US college," said Baena. "We asked him how he’s coping with the life of an NBA star with the media attention and girls all over the place. He told us it’s a matter of focus and he knows how to keep things in perspective. As for the girls, there’s just one girl for him."

From lunch, Telfair was interviewed by Solar Sports vice president for marketing Jude Turcuato, sports broadcaster Janelle So and this writer in a formal setting.

Telfair said although the Blazers are off to a slow 6-13 start and star Darius Miles may be out indefinitely, he’s not about to write off the season. "Darius will undergo knee surgery next week and only then will we know the extent of the damage," he said. "He’s a huge loss. We’ve got a new team and we’re in the growing up process. We’ve had some distractions but we should just be positive and commit to play harder. We can’t allow the distractions to make us lose our focus. We will do a little better this year and by next season, we should be able to make the playoffs. But we’re not through yet. We’ll continue to work hard the rest of the season."

Telfair’s numbers are up this campaign — he’s averaging 10.9 points from 6.6, 4.3 assists from 3.3, 2.2 rebounds from 1.5, .804 free throw shooting from .789 and .339 three-point shooting from .246.

To be sure, moving from parttime to full-time starter has been tough. "Before, it was easier to score — now they’re trapping me, forcing me to give up the ball," he said. "I’ve had to work harder now that I’m the starting point guard."

Telfair said his story should inspire others from poor beginnings to strive for success.

"I’m not from Portland and I didn’t grow up in a big house," said Telfair. "My family was poor. I come from Coney Island in Brooklyn. I had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where I am. My advice to aspiring pro players is to try to make it where they want to go. You can achieve anything if you set your mind to accomplish your goal. It’s about working hard. Like what we say at Adidas, impossible is nothing. A good work ethic is important. You may be the best player in high school or college but when you get to the NBA, it’s different. You’ve got to be self-confident and willing to learn. You’ve got to know how to handle your business yourself."

Telfair said as a six-foot guard in the Land of the Giants, he’s aware he’s fighting for the cause of the little man who hopes to make it in the big leagues.

"I’m conscious about being a role model and it carries a huge responsibility," he said. "I try to lead by example. When I was growing up, my role model was my brother (Jamel Thomas) who played in the NBA and is now playing in Athens. I try to be down to earth. People talk to me like they’re talking to everyone else. I don’t try to be someone special. On the court, I try to control my emotions. I don’t curse. I don’t wear tattoos. I stay humble and thank God for His blessings. I just work as hard as I can and play to the best of my ability."

Telfair said he’ll always cherish memories of his recent Manila visit.

"It was great just being there, to learn about the culture, to make new friends," said Telfair. "I’d love to go back if it’s possible and stay a little longer next time."