Sporting Chance

Anthony (Jay-Jay) Helterbrand may not be a Michael Jordan but coach Allan Caidic hopes he'll be able to help the Ginebra San Miguel cause sooner or later in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Helterbrand, 23, was brought to Manila last November by agent Rolando Hiso, a Filipino immigrant living in Chicago. The six-foot, 190-pound guard stayed in town for 10 days then returned to the US. Early this year, he flew back in and played a game for Batangas in the Metropolitan Basketball Association before moving to Ginebra.

Helterbrand isn't a Fil-Am. He's pure Filipino despite his surname. That's because he was born Lamberto Romero Vicente, Jr. at the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila to parents Lamberto Heras Vicente and Melanie Jimenez Romero, both Filipinos. After his father died, he moved to Kentucky at the age of six with an older brother and his mother.

Helterbrand's mother eventually remarried. Her second husband is Ronald Helterbrand, an American.

In 1986, his name was legally changed from Lamberto Romero Vicente, Jr. to Anthony Romero Helterbrand. A district court in Fort Knox, Kentucky, authorized the switch.

Helterbrand played at Henry Clark High School in Kentucky and battled such stars as Ron Mercer, Antoine Walker and Anthony Epps in street pick-up games. As a prep senior in 1995-96, Helterbrand averaged eight points and four rebounds. He went on to play two seasons under coach Thomas (Fox) Snowden at Kentucky State, an all-black school and a 3-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) champion.

Kentucky State is the same school that produced Billy Ray Bates, the Black Superman.

As a Kentucky State freshman in 1996-97, Helterbrand started in 18 of 20 games, averaging 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 28.6 minutes. He shot 46.7 percent from the floor, 32 percent from 3-point range, and 64.3 percent from the line. Helterbrand led the Southern Intercollegiate Conference (SIAC) in steals.

In his first 11 games the next season, Helterbrand averaged 13 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 rebounds for the varsity. He started in 10 games, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 86.7 percent from the stripe.

Helterbrand was described as "an excellent floor leader and defensive player" in the Kentucky State media guidebook. Two years ago, he left school because of differences with his coach and moved to South Carolina where his brother lives.

Hiso met Helterbrand at the Filipino Inter-City tournament in Chicago last year. Helterbrand played for the Charleston team and was clearly the standout in the 13-state meet.

"Magaling talaga," gushed Hiso. "Kaya after the Inter-City tournament, I talked to his coach (Jimmy Ibarra) and offered my services to bring him to the PBA."

Helterbrand subsequently signed a 6-year contract appointing Hiso as his agent.

Hiso said Helterbrand understands Pilipino but has difficulty speaking it. "He's a full-blooded Filipino but he grew up in the US," continued Hiso, a former Philippine national team cyclist. "He's lived in the US the last 17 years."

Hiso related that he showed Helterbrand tapes of several PBA games before flying him over. "We watched an Alaska game and I asked him what he thinks of Johnny (Abarrientos)," said Hiso. "Sabi niya, Johnny's a heckuva player but he'll hold his own against him."

In his first three PBA games, Helterbrand averaged 6.7 points. It remains to be seen if Helterbrand will be known in the PBA more for his exploits on the court than the fact that he went to the same school as Bates.