Shadow Caster (Part 2)

     This is part 2 of From the Fifty Peso Seats exclusive interview with Philippine high school phenom Jeron Teng of Xavier High School.  Read part 1 here.

From the Fifty Peso Seats: Your dad, Alvin, was a PBA All Star, a PBA champion and he has played in the Asian Games. Your brother Jeric is now in the University of Santo Tomas Varsity Basketball Team and he's a candidate for the SEA Games team, but you've scored 104 points and played in the YOG.  Who has the bragging rights at home?

Jeron Teng: (It's) still my dad. My dad tells us that we cannot brag with him because we haven't reached the PBA yet like him. (laughs)

FtFPS: Do you think telling a girl you scored 104 points will be a good pick up 
line?

JT: Well it depends. Sometimes it will and sometimes it won't.  Some girls might think like "Wow! Galing! (Wow! Great!)", and others might go like, "Buwakaw naman nito! (What a ball hog!)" (laughs)

FtFPS: In an interview on this same blog, your brother jeric said "Teng-minator" 
would be a good monicker for him instead of "Robo Kid." How about you? 

JT: I don't have a nickname yet.  Any will do; it will just come.

FtFPS: Do you already have a university/college in mind? Why or why not?

JT:  I dont have any specific college yet.  I'll just be in 4th year so, I still have 1 more year to think (about) what school I'll attend.

FtFPS: There's talk that Smart Gilas (Men's National Team) may revamp and let the current players enter the PBA in 2012. If they build a new team, would you like to be a part of it?

JT: Yeah of course I would want to join Gilas if I'll be given a chance! Who wouldn't want to? (laughs)

FtFPS: Who is your basketball hero?

JT: My dad. He has really been my inspiration all along. He was the one who taught me basketball and he's like a coach to me.  He tells me what I have to improve on.  My dad always telll me that in basketball, all you should really have to do is to be hard working to be successful. He tells me that he wasn't that good before; he wasn't that talented compared to others, but he still succeeded because he was hard working. In his career, my dad won many awards, like Defensive Player of the Year, Mythical Five Teams, and an All Star Game MVP.

     When you are born into a basketball family, with a Philippine Basketball Association All Star for a father, and a university varsity Rookie of the Year for a brother, a mighty basketball shadow is cast upon you.  What do you do? For any ordinary boy, fading in the shadows may be the thing to do.  For greats like Jeron? Well, cast an even bigger shadow, of course.