BASKETBALL
RC Calimag and Why He’s the Best Bet to Relive #AtinTo Mantra #SlamRisingStars
RC Calimag, unlike Abadiano and Tamayo, isn’t as popular as a prospect than the two. But, make no mistake, Calimag may just be that guy whom you’ll remember a mix of Diego Dario and Paul Desiderio, with grit and tenacity in his veins.
What some of you may not know is that in one of Batang Gilas’ games vs Japan in 2018, RC Calimag once became the hero who sank a game-winning layup that put the youth team through the FIBA Worlds 2018. Calimag ended up with 15 points during that historic game, which surpassed the 2015 crew’s fifth place achievement in Indonesia.
According to Calimag, who played for De La Salle Zobel for two seasons before transferring to La Salle Greenhills for his final year, UP’s current system and success for the past couple of years were the reasons why he joined the team.
“After I finished by high school career, they started talking to me and they showed me their plans for the program and where I’d fit in. A big part of it was also their plans for my education because we all know UP is UP so the decision was more than just about basketball for me.”
What Calimag can bring is international exposure. Add to that the fact that he has played with Tamayo, Abadiano, Juan Gomez de Liano and James Spencer in the past.
“Getting the chance to play for Gilas Youth was really important to me because I got to compete against the best in Asia and then the best in the world… The level of talent there was so high even though it was just under-17 so getting the chance to play against them will be helpful for me moving forward.”
RC Calimag isn’t the first LSGH standout to have played for the Fighting Maroons. Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero, Jboy Gob, Gelo Vito and Mark Juruena all came from the said school.
Aside from playing alongside Paras, Rivero and Gob, Calimag noted that the UP community support is amazing and it’s also one of the reasons he’s going to play for UP.
True enough, if there’s a couple of players who appreciate the crowd so much during their years of playing – it would be Paul Desiderio and Diego Dario. The first known to bring the #AtinTo mantra to the team, who’s name’s forever etched in UP history and Diego Dario, the ever-hardworking home-grown talent UP’s always going to be proud of.
A scoring machine, towering at 6’3″, you can expect RC Calimag to play both offense and defense.
Now, it is in the hands of Calimag and his rookie teammates to pen their own version of history and help bring the legacy back to the Fighting Maroons. The UP community will always be here, to stand and rally behind them, all the way.
