Joey Mente's daughter hails ex-PBA player as ‘perfect’ father

MANILA, Philippines – Joey Mente, who dunked his way to fame in the PBA, passed away last Wednesday of lingering illness.

He turned 42 last February 24.

Mente touched a lot of people’s hearts, but none greater than her daughters’ (Ynaah, who’s 17, and Joyce, who’s 13).

Ynaah wrote a touching goodbye letter on her Facebook page.

She described Mente as the “perfect” father and mother rolled into one, and remembered him always telling her to study hard.

“’Yan ‘yung laging sinasabi mo sa akin, Papa (That’s what you always tell me),” Ynaah wrote.

Mente’s eldest daughter dreams of becoming an F.A. (flight attendant), and remembered how her father proudly shared her dream — until the end.

“Di mo na ako makikitang maging F.A. (You will not see me become an F.A.),” she wrote.

“Lagi mo pa akong pinagmamalaki sa mga kaibigan mo kasi may soon-to-be F.A. ka na (You always tell your friends how proud you are having a soon-to-be F.A).”

It’s just sad that Mente is gone.

“Pano na yan, Papa? Wala na akong motivation (I have lost the motivation),” Ynaah added.

“I will always miss you. Papa, I love you,” she said.

Mente studied and played for Lyceum, and roamed the streets of Intramuros. In 1998, he made it to the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, playing for the Iloilo MegaVoltz.

Then in 2001, the big break came. He joined the PBA Draft and was picked by San Miguel Beer at No. 10 in the first round.

With his great leaping ability, some Michael Jordan-like moves and jolly demeanor, he made his presence felt in the big league.

Barely 5-foot-10, Mente was crowned Slam Dunk King in 2001, and helped the Beermen triumph in the All-Filipino Conference that year.

Mente, who once represented the Philippines in the Jones Cup, won a second title with SMB — the 2005 Fiesta Conference. In 2006, he moved to Welcoat.

Then in 2008, he bid the PBA goodbye.

But he left a good impression, and when news spread that he was ill, with tumors in his head and chest, they all came to help — players, coaches, team owners, the PBA.

He was their “People’s Champ.”