A golden year for Motor Mike!
What a year it has been for Mike Phillips.
Two gold medals on the biggest of stages.
People might forget that aside from helping the De La Salle Green Archers bring back the UAAP men’s basketball crown to Taft, the 6-foot-8 big man also helped Gilas Pilipinas reclaim the gold medal in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in May.
In their Game 3 winner-take-all finals match versus the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, Phillips brought his usual hustle and grit, as he finished with five points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Crazy enough, Phillips bared that his mental preparation for Game 3 was the same thing he did during Gilas Pilipinas’ gold medal match versus Cambodia.
“It's crazy. Because on the way to the game, I listened to the same exact playlist I listened to when we went to the Cambodia finals,” Phillips told One Sports.
“I was just reminiscing about how hard that game and how hard those players fought for the country and so when I see how hard those players fought for the Philippines, it's no different when I fight for the La Salle community.”
ALSO READ: Christian Standhardinger pays Gilas young guns the ultimate compliment
At just 21 years old, Phillips has already achieved plenty in his young career. That's why he couldn’t fathom what a year this has been for him.
“This is surreal. This year is just—I couldn't have planned this. It's all God. The SEA Games and now this (UAAP title). It's crazy,” said Phillips.
Maybe Motor Mike will keep that playlist on standby whenever he’s set to go for the gold.
(PM)