Josh David, La Salle’s do-it-all guard, earns his stripes by scattering his impact across the stat sheet throughout the Green Archers’ Season 87 campaign.
Apart from Kevin Quiambao’s MVP-level play and Mike Phillips’ high-energy presence, La Salle guard Josh David has proven himself as one of the Green Archers’ most valuable pieces throughout their UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball title defense.
David has made it a point to make his presence felt as the Archers’ starting point guard, averaging 6.0 points, 5.79 rebounds, and 4.21 assists throughout the elimination rounds. Now in his final UAAP year, David shows heart and grit as he tries to have an all-around impact for the defending champs in Season 87.
Head coach Topex Robinson couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to mentor David. Having seen his growth since Season 86, the champion mentor sees him as a well-loved member of this Green Archers program.
“He’s a well-loved part of our program. He never complained [about his role], and you know, he took it like a leader. He doesn’t speak that much, but the work ethic is just there and I guess that’s just a testament of how he kinda put the standard so high as far as a Lasallian player is,” Robinson told The GAME after La Salle punched its return trip to the Season 87 Finals on Saturday.
Josh David is no stranger to adversity in the UAAP, having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that sidelined him for Seasons 84 and 85. Adding salt to the wound, this also limited the guard to a maximum of two playing years by the time he returned.
Yet despite these setbacks, David is now at the tail-end of two productive years as a Green Archer.
“So, so much respect for him, so much love for him. Sabi ko nga sa mga rookies namin, take the opportunity to learn from Josh kasi bihira lang magkaroon ng ganyang talent eh. When you say talent, it’s skill and character, and it’s just a blessing for us,” Robinson said of his graduating guard.
Further validating David’s impact is Season 87’s Statistical Points (SPs) race, where he finished in ninth overall thanks to his elimination round numbers. In doing so, he joins the likes of Forth Padrigao, and foreign student athletes Mo Tounkara, Precious Momowei, and Mo Konateh.
“We were so surprised [with David being ninth in the SPs race] kasi when he came in this season, he came off an operation pa eh. So yeah, they cleaned up [cartilage] from his knee…so he sat out the whole preseason [leading up to Season 87],” Robinson said when asked about the development.
“Sabi nga niya, ‘Coach, kung ano ‘yung makakabuti sakin’. So he took that risk, that gamble, and it paid off now because the knee is not bothering him anymore. And then he’s just healthy and happy to be back in the Finals again.”
No regrets
For David, his dirty work is part of the desire to exit the UAAP with no regrets. Now in his fifth and final year, there won’t be any Season 88 for him once it’s all said and done this December against UP in the Season 87 men’s basketball finals.
But that’s not to say he wasn’t shocked with how the SPs race turned out. After all, he simply did his part in helping the Archers rack up wins, only for it to come with some extra validation.
“Gulat na lang din ako kasi kumbaga [my mindset is] ano lang matutulong ko sa team, ‘yun lang talaga. Lahat naman kami, kumbaga, alam namin yung role namin eh, kaya sobrang blessed na lang din namin kung mahigitan pa namin yung role namin…Syempre, ikaw mindset mo kasi as a player, kung ano lang matutulong mo sa team,” David told The GAME in a follow-up chat.
David attributed his performances to the culture Robinson has built in Taft, which focuses on defining each player’s role while “flattening” the leadership hierarchy within the dugout.
“Sa stay ko sa La Salle, ‘yung culture na na-build talaga ni Coach Topex, sobrang special. Kasi, kumbaga as a player, if ma-pride ka, sobrang hirap ‘di ba magbaba ng pride? Pero samin, talagang [dine-define] ‘yung mga roles. Kumbaga, nagbababa [ng pride], may naga-adjust talaga,” the former La Salle-Greenhills star reflected.
Game 1 of the Finals is scheduled for December 8 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, followed by Game 2 on December 11 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. If necessary, the do-or-die Game 3 will take place on December 14 at the Araneta Coliseum.
And while he’s happy to be in the finals once more, Josh David knows that the job is far from finished in their title defense against the redemption-seeking UP Fighting Maroons.
“Happy lang na nakaabot kami hanggang dulo, pero knowing na may finals pa, hindi pa tapos so need pa namin mag-prepare pa. Siguro sa tulong na lang din ng mga beterano last season, ‘yan sina Evan [Nelle] saka ‘yung mga coaching staff na ‘di nagsasawa i-guide ako,” said David, who has proven to be a thorn in UP’s side since Season 86.
Banner image courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.