Blazers stars here to build communities

MANILA, Philippines -  Perhaps mirroring the recent meteoric rise to prominence of the once hard-luck Portland Trailblazers, two of their starters have visited the country in as many months. Center Robin Lopez and defender-cum-shooter Wesley Matthews arrived in town recently, joining NBA legend Avery Johnson for a series of NBA Cares events that culminates with a trip to northern Cebu today.

NBA and World Vision will also bring the trio to some communities in Compostela hit by Typhoon Yolanda (or Haiyan) last November. In a release, the NBA reports it has “contributed more than US$2.2 million in support of Yolanda relief efforts, including a US$250,000 contribution to World Vision in 2013 by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).”

In an interview with The STAR, the seven-foot Lopez said that although it’s his first time in the Philippines, he is no stranger to the country or its people. “I have a Filipino friend from high school, one of my best friends,” he explained. “He’s actually here with me on this trip, (and) has always told me about the passion that Filipinos have for basketball. Brook told me about that as well.”

Brook is Robin’s twin brother who plays for the Brooklyn Nets, and was in the country two years ago.

Robin Lopez first heard about the Yolanda disaster on TV, but maintained: “It’s tough to express how you feel when you see something on TV. You’re so far removed from it. There’s almost a numbness. I’m glad I’ll be able to go to Cebu to the actual location and see first-hand where it happened, and see the efforts afterwards to rebuild, and to be part of that.”

Lopez revealed that he comes from a very sports-minded family – particularly on his mother Deborah’s side. His mom was a competitive swimmer while his grandma was a gymnast who also coached the sport. Curiously, Robin’s grandfather was a basketball player as well.

Wesley Matthews, on the other hand, was snubbed in the 2009 NBA draft despite a strong showing in college hoops at Marquette University. But he joined the Summer League in Orlando, where he played for the Utah Jazz where he impressed the Utah executives, who signed him for a year, earning major minutes and even a starting stint.

The Portland Trail Blazers, needing a proficient two to play behind then-star Brandon Roy, took notice and signed the restricted free agent Matthews to a five-year, US$34-million deal. Now, the two guard is a vital cog in both offense and defense.