Making the most of every opportunity — Juami Tiongson
MANILA, Philippines — Juami Tiongson knows all about flying below the radar.
It is easy to be overlooked when you play alongside celebrated teammates like Kiefer Ravena, Jerick Canada, Roi Sumang, Denok Miranda, Nard Pinto, Emman Monfort, Kevin Alas and JP Calvo to name but a few.
From his high school and college days in Ateneo de Manila to his first years in the Philippine Basketball Association with BlackWater, NLEX and now, to Terrafirma, Tiongson has been a quietly efficient player.
It is no secret that he has come close to quitting pro ball as the opportunities have been slow to come by to showcase his wares.
But if you have followed his career, you can say that there are two instances that tell you of his potential to be a regular and solid player for one’s ballclub.
During Game Two if the UAAP Season 75 (2012) Finals that pitted Tiongson’s Blue Eagles against the university of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, Juami missed two crucial free throws very late in the game that could have iced the five-peat for Ateneo with the score at 65-62 with seven seconds left.
Except he missed both free throws and it gave life to UST. With a chance to send the game into overtime, UST’s Clark Bautista tried to pass to teammate Jeric Fortuna. Tiongson stole the ball and dribbled out the remaining seconds as Ateneo won its fifth straight title.
And then there’s his getting picked up by NLEX after a solid showing with AMA Online in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup and he went on to lead the Road Warriors in a huge win over GlobalPort with 21 points.
Most recently, he led Terrafirma to a shock overtime win over San Miguel with a pro-best 28 points.
He, of course, hopes for consistency and further raising his game.
“I feel blessed,” reflected Tiongson after the win over SMB. “I wouldn’t have done it without God’s grace and my family’s support. From being drafted to having your contract bought out to almost quitting, I wouldn’t have done it without faith and support.”
Juami knows hard work is oft said and bandied about but he swears it is true. “I’m not really the fastest, most athletic, or most skilled player, but I always make sure to put in the work.”
He also credits his Terrafirma coach John Cardel for giving him the opportunity: “Coach John lets me play the game and learn from my mistakes.”
What motivates Juami Tiongson today?
“Simple. My family,” he pointed out. “As I said, I wouldn’t have done this without them. Also, it is about wanting to get better every day. Professional basketball is a short term career and I want to make the most out of every opportunity that is given.”
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