With all apologies to Newton, but if one were to use Physics to describe B.J. Manalo's career, then it has most certainly resembled a set of parabolas. In four years wearing the green and white for De La Salle University, Manalo has ascended to the highest peaks and plunged to the lowest valleys. It would be easy to focus on triumphs like the three championships he's contributed in for the Green Archers, and trials such as his latest injury, the dreaded torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). However, it would be a grave injustice to tackle these experiences merely at face value and view B.j> Manalo simply as a basketball player. Here is a young man whose journey to basketball prominence has instead become an oddysey of faith and personal growth. It is a sunny Wednesday morning and B.J., all clad in Adidas from head to foot, is in a clinic undergoing six hours of daily therapy on his right knee. He admits that what he goes through during therapy is far more grueling and draining than any practice or game he's ever participated in, as each movement involves pain and discomfort. When he recalls the day he sustained the career-threatening injury, one is led to think that it shouldn't even have happened in the first place. Although the Archers failed to bag their fifth straight UAAP crown last season, anyone who saw B.J. play during the Finals would certainly agree that he was playing his best basketball. He had been hailed as one of the amateur ranks' most promising stars, yet up to that point he had displayed a mere flicker of his potential because of certain setbacks. Trying to make the most of his opportunities following Season 65, B.J. was practicing early this year for three teams, namely La Salle's MICABA squad, ICTSI in the PBK, and the National Men's Training Pool, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. To top it all of, he was attending class in the morning in order to graduate this October. "I could have opted not to play in the MICABA, but I'm the big brother and leader of the team, so I couldn't leave my younger teammates," he said in Filipino. "The PBL was important to me because it was one step closer to my dream of making the PBA, while it was an honor for me to be selected by Coach Aric (del Rosario) for the National Pool." It was taking its toll on his body as fatigue was settling in, but he was on a basketball high. And then reality kicked in and brought him crashing back on the ground as he tore his right ACL which taking off for a lay-up during a no-bearing MICABA game. Back to square one. Whether you're a fan or not, you can't help but feel sorry for the guy. Yet B.J. does not need nor want your sympathy. He doesn't want you to feel sorry for the hand that's been dealt him. Yes, he is disappointed, but there is not a trace of frustration, anger, bitternes or even regret. Rather he is a picture of calm apperance, optimism, and above all, hope. "My initial eraction when I fell down on the floor was to scream out 'Lord!' and ask why this is happening to me, but after five minutes I accepted my fate," Manalo shared. It may be difficult to believe such, but his past experiences may have already strenghtened his resolve and prepared him fopr the moment. At age 17, he made a difficult decision to head over to Taft when all the while he was being groomed as Ateneo's savior. His decision was praised by some, but it infuriated others who branded him as a traitor and a sell-out. Then just after serving as an integral part of the 1999 title squad, he was diagnosed with a tumor in the left shin that made him miss a majority of the next two seasons. It was so rare a condition and was not even basketball-related. Yet, while he may have lost the opportunity to play, he gained something far more important. "It was through my injury that I god to know God. I was humbled and He picked me up when I was down. I developed a personal relationship with Him and realized that basketball was His way of communicating with me." "Basketball has provided me a lot of opportunities, like getting an education from the best schools, having my face on billboards and being recongnized, but at the end of it all God will not ask me how many autographs I signed. Of course there were so many temptations, but I had to set my priorities. I wasn't just a basketball player; there are a lot of other things to do," the Marketing Management major confided. Thus with a renewed faith and a better perspective on life, B.J. worked his way up. The loss of a dear friend last year further deepened his respect for life and the challenges it presented. Last November, Migs Gozum, Manalo's close friend collapsed during a game and soon thereafter passed away. Not a lot of people knew that B.J. was one of the last people who saw Gozum alive, or that he was the one who drove his friend to the Manila Sanitarium. "Migs was a true friend. We were roommates for four years and did a lot of things together. Whenever I was in the Stated, I would stay in his house. I'm thankful that I was able to spend time with him while he was here," B.J. said. Indeed, what B.J. has gone through in his 22 years can already be worth a lifetime of experiences for other. And he believes that he couldn't have survived without his faith. "To be honest, I would have gone insance a long time ago had God not been a part of my life. Right now Jesus is just carrying me, like it said in 'Footprints in the Sand,' and I'm jsut following where He leads me," B.J. disclosed. Though he's already of for Season 66 and is not yet certain to suit up for La Salle in Season 67, he still has a burning desire and confidence to play and perform well. He noted that his ACL will definitely be stronger since new ligaments have been placed. "It's just another obstacle I have to surpass nd I'm ready for anything that comes my way after what I've been through," B.J. opined. "Besides, I know I'm not alone." |