Jerwin all out for Lakers

IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas has been a LeBron James fan since the Chosen One was an NBA rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003-04. Throughout LeBron’s career, Ancajas stayed loyal from when he went to Cleveland to Miami back to Cleveland and now to Los Angeles.

In the ongoing Western Conference playoffs, Ancajas is rooting for the Lakers to dispose of Houston which happens to be his trainer Joven Jimenez’ favorite team. There’s friendly betting going on at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite, where Ancajas is holed up with Jimenez and so far, the champ is ahead in the money stakes. Yesterday, the Lakers beat the Rockets, 112-102, to move up, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series.

Ancajas is such a LeBron fan that he named his two sons Kyrie and Kyle. That was during LeBron’s second tour of duty in Cleveland when Kyrie Irving and Kyle Korver were his teammates. His third child is a girl named Kiera. If his wife Ruth gives birth to another boy, will he be named Kuzma? Jimenez said he doesn’t think so because at the moment, Ancajas is mesmerized by New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson so if a third boy comes along, he might break the trend of the first name starting with K and use Z instead.

“Sa mga bagong player ngayon, si Zion siya,” said Jimenez. “Palagi niyang sinusundan si Zion. Hindi gaano bilib siya kay (Nikola) Jokic.” Still, Ancajas isn’t about to stop cheering for LeBron and the Lakers. Ancajas said the Lakers will go all the way to the Finals and beat Miami in the Last Dance this season. For that to happen, the Lakers must overcome the L.A. Clippers, if they get rid of Denver and Miami must take care of Boston or Toronto, whoever survives in their series.

Jimenez said Ancajas picked Oklahoma City over Houston in the first round of the playoffs. “Masaya ako noong natalo ang OKC ng Houston at inis na inis naman si Jerwin kasi OKC siya,” he said. But they both back Miami. “Diyan kami pareho dahil kay Iggy (Andre Igoudala),” said Jimenez. “At super galing ng Miami ngayon. Delikado ang Boston o Toronto sa Miami.”

Jimenez said they watch the NBA games live on TV or their cellphones. When the coverage conflicts with Ancajas’ training schedule in the morning, he monitors updates while shadow boxing or skipping rope or doing drills. “Kahit nag-training, nanonood,” said Jimenez. “Mabuti bumalik ang NBA sa TV. Nagpapasaya sa mga adik ng basketball. Dati, Cleveland kami ni Jerwin kontra Golden State at masaya kaming dalawa noong nanalo si LeBron. Ngayon, away-away na. Hindi ako lilipat. James Harden at P. J. Tucker ang paborito ko. Babawi ang Rockets sa Game 4.”

MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons and featherweight contender Mark Magsayo are also Laker fans. Magsayo, working out in L. A. for his Sept. 23 duel with Jose Haro at the Microsoft Theater in the city, said his favorite player is LeBron. Gibbons said he’s been a Laker fan since he was a boy and predicted the Lakers to win it all this season. In the Gibbons family, his wife Valerie and son Brendan are for OKC while another son Parker is for Dallas. Now that OKC has been eliminated, Gibbons said his wife and Brendan are focused on the National Hockey League where they support the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinals against Dallas.

Jimenez said there’s still no word from the US Embassy as to when Ancajas and he can get an appointment for a visa interview. Their Aug. 17 appointment was cancelled when Metro Manila was back to MECQ but now that it’s under GCQ, they’re waiting for another date. As soon as Ancajas and Jimenez are issued their visas, they’ll fly to L. A. and get ready for the title defense against Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez. The fight will happen three to four weeks after they land.