Texters as Kainan? Nah, think Shoyo

The Talk 'n' Text SHOYO Texters

Since this writer has been a long time Slam Dunk fan back when it was still being aired (although inconsistently, some weeks it's there, others it isn't) on ABC 5 (the precursor to today's MVP-owned TV5), it's quite entertaining to see that it's being used in parallelisms with the PBA.

For that, we'd have to thank idol FireQuinito Jaemark Tordecilla, who was the first to really push for Purefoods/ BMeg's Marc Pingris to be identified as the "Pinoy Sakuragi." From the day that I first read his post about Pingris being the local version of the volatile yet extremely gifted red-haired anime, it definitely stuck and I'm just happy that we now have a moniker that best suits Pingris instead of having Mico Halili give him a childish sounding one ala Smurfinator or Ranidelsky De Ocamposchnitsky whatever.


That being said, a Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters fan was praised/ featured on the InterAKTV site as saying that while BMeg is the modern day Shohoku, then the Texters are the Kainan team that would edge them out due to vast experience, having multiple championships, and pretty much a superior roster.

Great argument and analogy, but not quite.

The Texters are more like the Shoyo team led by ace point guard/ playing coach Kenji Fujima, nimble center Toru Hanagata and small forward Kazushi Hasegawa (yes, this writer knows his Slam Dunk). They run at all times, are ultra athletic and tall at the frontline and are pretty much interchangeable out on the floor.

Fujima could be likened to Jimmy Alapag, who's been taking the backseat for his younger Three Mouse-keteers brethren Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes at the point. He comes in and makes/ takes shots only when necessary these days (or when someone calls him out) but is more or less the leader of this team no matter what. Hanagata is a no brainer-- that's the KKS Doctor Ranidel de Ocampo for you. A skilled big man who has all the moves and shooting you'd want, but will be out-rebounded in days' end by the Pinoy Sakuragi. Hasegawa? Pick any of the Texters' under-rated guards/ forwards from Larry Fonacier to former PBA MVP Kelly Williams-- dudes who can play lockdown defense while also holding their own offensively as if to prove a point to every body else.

If you've seen your share of Slam Dunk episodes or read the Shonen Jump manga by genius Takehiko Inoue, then you'd see more similarities than this writer could point out. Their whole team are pretty much made of players who are athletic and interchangeable, and aren't typical set position players save for a piece or two (much like the Texters who have three interchangeable guards, and a boat load of versatile forwards).

Seriously, the only "traditional" players on the Texters' roster are centers Ali Peek, Harvey Carey and little-used Gilbert Lao and point guard Alapag.

Anime na anime lang ang dating ni reigning MVP

Now, if only Alapag could grow his hair back then this entry would gain even more credibility minus all the geek-speak.