Henry Kristoffer Suico in action during the NBA Academy Asia Development Camp in Singapore earlier this week. | Photo from Suico’s Facebook page.
CEBU CITY, Philippines–Henry Kristoffer Suico relishes his experience as part of the NBA Academy Asia Development Camp in Singapore earlier this week.
The Cebuano cager who plays for the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles is one of three Filipino high school basketball players to be invited by the NBA to take part in the training camp that capped off last May 11.
Suico of Mandaue City was the lone Cebuano invited to the camp along with Kieffer Alas of De La Salle Zobel and Brent International School’s Irus Chua.
“The whole experience is amazing. To be trained by the best coaches, it is definitely one for the books. The best moment for me was when I got to meet my fellow campers from other countries,” Suico told CDN Digital.
Suico said he learned a lot from the camp and that he would definitely be more confident saying it was “an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Being selected for this academy is a rare chance since the NBA bases its selection on scouting reports. Thus, it is easy to say that the young Cebuano cager has great potential.
The Singapore camp is an all-expense paid trip shouldered by the NBA.
After learning he got selected, Suico said he felt overwhelmed.
“I was overwhelmed by the idea that a Cebuano like me could get a chance to be invited to a very prestigious camp, NBA is every baller’s ultimate dream and to be part of it is something I would be forever grateful for,” said Suico.
Since Suico carries the name of the Magis Eagles, Cebu, and the Philippines in the academy, he prepared for it both mentally and physically.
“The Ateneo sports program has molded me to be physically and mentally prepared for challenges in sports and life in general. When the invitation came, I knew that I was well prepared but of course, apart from my daily routine I made sure to do extra training like running in the oval before my classes begin and working on my skills before practice, and lifting weights after practice to improve my body, stamina, and skills,” Suico explained.
Suico admitted that he also had his fair share of challenges during the academy. He played against and alongside some of Asia and Oceania’s top basketball prospects.
“I think my biggest challenge was proving to myself and the coaches that I can dominate in this level of basketball. I was hesitant at first knowing that I’d be playing with top picks in Asia and Oceania but the moment I played in the NBA Camp I have come to realize that basketball is really an amazing sport as it connects people no matter which country you are from,” Suico concluded. /rcg
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