NBA cager roots for Gilas

MANILA, Philippines - Realizing that the Philippines will be the underdog at the FIBA World Championships in Spain next year, San Antonio Spurs center-forward Matt Bonner said he’s rooting for Gilas because “the country’s so passionate about basketball and everybody’s excited about qualifying for the competition.”

Bonner, 33, was recently in town to promote the NBA Cares and Fit programs, the league’s foremost platforms in reaching out to communities. The 6-10 three-point threat said he expects to still be playing in the NBA 10 years from now “as long as I keep making threes and I’m healthy” but if not, he hopes to still be involved in the game. “I would go nuts without basketball as I learned during the lockout,” he said. If the road eventually leads to playing in the PBA where his University of Florida roommate Donnell Harvey played, Bonner said he’s open to it. Another Gator Vernon Macklin also suited up in the PBA.

“I don’t know Vernon that well because he played after me,” said Bonner. “Donnell is an interesting character. I’ve lost touch with him in the last few years. I didn’t know he played in the Philippines. We were roommates when I was a freshman. He’s a very physically-gifted player, plays hard, tenacious.”

During his visit, Bonner caught up with his younger brother Luke’s boyhood friend Chris Lutz of Petron. “Chris is from New Hampshire like me,” said Bonner. “He’s Luke’s age, four to five years younger than me and they grew up together, played on the same high school team. I’ve known him since he was 10 or 11.”

Bonner said playing for one’s country is special. Five years ago, he applied for Canadian citizenship and thought it would lead to representing Canada internationally. “I’ll never beat out Kevin Love or Dwight Howard on the US team,” he said. “One of my grandfathers was Canadian and I’m married to a Canadian. I played my first years in the NBA with Toronto and we have a home there. But my passport never came through because you’re required to live in Canada for three years to be eligible. Obviously, since I’m playing with the Spurs, I’m not able to live in Canada.”

As for the Philippines qualifying for the FIBA World Championships after 36 years, Bonner said it’s an awesome development. “I’m excited for the country and the people,” he said. “I’ll root for them, they’ll be the underdog for sure.”

Fresh out of college, Bonner played in Italy and called it a learning experience. He wasn’t paid in the last half of the season but played through it anyway. “Everything and anything that could go wrong off the court happened,” he recalled. “I didn’t get paid but I finished the season. It was an opportunity to play in one of the best leagues in the world outside the NBA, get better, have fun and play well. I just didn’t focus on the negatives and stayed positive. Every team in the league had three or four players with NBA experience or was drafted. I hope to play in the NBA as long as I can. I think I’m consistent with what I do. If I’m healthy, I should continue to do what I do, work hard, get better each year.”

Bonner described himself as a “niche” player. “I play five sometimes but I’m really a four,” he said. “I have a specific role. I’m out there to stretch the floor, open up the driving lane for Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili), post up for Tim (Duncan), execute our schemes on defense and play hard.”

In the last NBA playoffs, Bonner said coach Gregg Popovich deployed him under different circumstances. Against the Los Angeles Lakers whom the Spurs swept in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, Bonner was the sixth man. “Coach Pop wanted to use me because the Lakers had two seven-footers and I could get them out of the paint, take them out of their comfort zone,” he said. “Against Golden State which plays small ball, we moved Kawhi (Leonard) at four to match up better. Against Memphis, I was back playing 25 to 30 minutes because Tiago (Splitter) got hurt with a sprain. Against Miami, we used a small lineup again because they played small with Mike (Miller) at four. Mike and Udonis (Haslem) played at Florida like me and I’m happy for their success. They’re great guys, they work hard and they always put their team first.”

Bonner said he always looks forward to participating in the NBA Cares and Fit programs. “I enjoy getting involved in the NBA Cares and Fit events,” he said. “It’s giving back to the community, reaching out, providing kids with the opportunity to interact and learn from NBA players. To see the fans smile, kids all excited, even on the opposite side of the world, that’s special. My Philippine experience was awesome. I’ve done NBA Cares and Fit and Basketball Beyond Borders programs in Brazil, China, South Africa and Mexico City and every country has been amazing.”

A high school valedictorian and a two-time Academic All-American with a business degree on a 3.96 grade point average, Bonner said he owes what he is today to his father David, a postal office letter carrier, and mother Paula, an elementary school teacher. “I learned from my parents the values of discipline, hard work, humility and family,” he said. “My mom built my academic foundation at a young age. While I consider education very important, I can understand why someone who’s guaranteed to be a first round choice would go to the NBA after just one year of college to set up his future for him and his family. Going to college was one of my best experiences and it’s hard to put a dollar value to it. But if you’re a first round draft pick shoo-in, who am I to say that you should study instead of going to the NBA when you’ve got the opportunity?’