Aguilar eyes roster spot in D-League’s Sta. Cruz Warriors

MANILA, Philippines – Japeth Aguilar’s quest to enter the NBA via backdoor got the ball rolling as he officially joined the Sta. Cruz Warriors’ D-League training camp three days ago after passing the physical exam. 

Aguilar’s US-based agent Chris McGarry told philstar.com via email that the 6-9 Filipino forward is already in Oakland at the Golden States Warriors’ training center with the rest of the Sta. Cruz squad.

“He passed the physical (exam) on the 12th when he got there. He started practicing with the team on the 13th then from 14th to 18th (of this month) they are in Oakland at Golden States Warriors training center, the same venue where Aguilar impressed the Sta. Cruz management during an open tryout last month,” said the Fil-American McGarry, who played briefly for the FEU Tamaraws in the UAAP in the early 80s.

The first Filipino to be ever drafted in the NBA’s D-League, Aguilar is hoping to make the cut, battling with 16 other D-League prospects and former NBA players that include one-time Bmeg (now San Mig Coffee) import Stefhon Hannah in the 12-man roster in time for the D-League’s opener on Nov. 23.

The Warriors will open the season against the Reno Bighorns on Nov. 30 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada.

In a lengthy interview with NBADLeague.com’s Kevin Scheitrum, Aguilar, who was picked in the seventh round, confessed that he is overwhelmed but remained focus in pursuing his dream to play in the NBA someday.

“It’s overwhelming for me, really. I was just really happy. But during the draft, actually, it was nerve-wracking. I'm just really thankful to have this opportunity,” Aguilar told Scheitrum.

“My parents were really emotional. My dad was shouting in our house, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord.” He was thanking God. My mom, she had tears in her eyes. This is the highest level of basketball I’ve reached,” Aguilar added.

Japeth’s father Peter, an ex-PBA player like himself, has been instrumental in his US basketball journey. He was the one who hooked up with McGarry, whom he played against with in Manila during his college years then eventually became a close friend when they were teammates in the defunct Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL) under Turo Valenzona.

Dubbed by the NBADleague.com as “The Filipino Phenomenon”, the weight of a basketball-crazy nation is now resting on his 7-foot wingspan and 36-inch vertical leap.

In the Sta. Cruz Warriors’ official team website, Aguilar is one of the three listed centers in the 17-man training camp roster.

The former PBA top overall pick is listed as 6-10 210-lb center, the second tallest in the roster next to Texas A&M CC’s 7-foot bigman Chris Daniels, who weighs 265 lbs. Syracuse’s Rick Jackson is the other center standing 6-8 and weighing 254 lbs. Four forwards not standing lower than 6-8 is in the training camp roster.

“For me, I just want to concentrate and focus on playing basketball and the things I want to accomplish. Then again, in the Philippines, this is the first time it’s happening, so it’s a big deal for basketball followers in the Philippines. So that’s when the pressure comes in,” Aguilar said.

“Everyone wants to know how I’m doing. But when you get older you get more mature [so I can handle it more]. I’m really working hard,” the 25-year old Filipino prospect added.  “I also don’t want to let them down. I’m gonna do the best I can.”