SALUTATIONS FOR A MENTOR: ELY "THE KITI-KITI KID" SUAISO

I've asked a lot of people to help me improve my game. My cousin Kuya Mark taught me how to shoot. My blockmate Paulo Parel tweaked my lay-up. My one-on-one games against my longtime homeboy Uzzi Asuncion help me test out moves I've been practicing. My shotblocking little brother Totep, all 5'9" of him and his near 5'11" wingspan, made me adjust my shot and practice different ways of scoring in the paint. But there's one guy I gotta thank, my main man Ely Suaiso, aka The Kiti-kiti Kid, aka The Captain. This guy taught me how to love and enjoy the game.

Kuya Ely is the best baller I've ever played with. He had hang-time moves, a mid-range jumper, and a behind-the-back dribble that always got me scrambling after him as he sashayed to the rim, laughing at me and the shot blocker he was going to embarass at the rim.

I remember one time we played 4on4 with a couple of guys, "Dayos" we'd call them coz they weren't from my 'hood, and they had this one ultra-athletic guy who made fools out of me and my other teammates. After racing to a 5 point lead, my main man Kuya Ely turned on the jets and put on a scoring clinic. And he did all his scoring while laughing and smiling at defenders who tried to stop him. Him and Kuya Tristan basically carried us to victory. Thus, The Kiti-kiti Kid's legend was made.

During an inter-church tournament, Kuya Ely showed me how he played like when he's serious. It was a complete 180 from the Ely I knew in pick-up games. This guy did not smile at all, drove stronger to the rim, and defended opposing guards with ferocity. Think Dwyane Wade in a 5'7" body, who made impossible dipsy-do layups and swatted shots of 6 foot centers. We lost in the finals though, but Kuya Ely stuffed the stat sheet. The Captain carried us when we needed him.

While I'm in awe of his take-over mode, the thing I really liked about Kuya Ely was his contagious joy when on the court when we played pickup games. He laughed, pulled down defenders' shorts, did cartwheels after he hit three-pointers, and flashed the Manny Villar pa-pogi sign as he hit fastbreak layups. He had all these sound effects when dangling the ball in front of me, then whipping it between his legs and behind the back as I tried in vain to steal the ball. I think we spent as much time laughing while we played from 6 in the morning to 1:30 in the afternoon.

He was also like the confident kuya for us youngsters back in the day. My favorite memory on the basketball court with him was one Easter Sunday game between us Youth and the Men from our church. I hit 12 points, 4-8 from three-point range, then my best career game hehe, all of em set up by my main man. After every shot I'd make, he'd jump into the air like them million-peso winners on noontime variety shows. When I missed my shot, he'd shriek in disbelief with matching facial expression, but then he'd tell me "Ayos lang boy! Bawi tayo boy!" as we jogged back on defense.

That joy on the court taught me how to love the game of basketball. If anything, Kuya Ely showed me how to really play - no problems, no baggages. When I step on the court, I check my problems at the door. "Wala munang problema-problema pag nasa court" I remember him telling me. The court then became my place of zen, my very own Fortress of Solitude. I am never more at peace, I never feel more alive than when I'm on the court playing basketball. Doesn't matter if I'm, the best player on the floor at the time, or the worst stinker of a turnover machine jacking up ill-advised three-pointers, the court is my sanctuary.

Few years later, I think I've improved, Kuya Ely. Dati center ako, ngayon guwardiya na :p Malapad pa rin ako, pero kaya ko na yung ibang bagay na ginagawa mo noon, wag nga lang mag-tumbling hehe. Kung di kita napasalamatan noon, eto sinasabi ko na: maraming salamat, Kuya Ely, salamat sa pagtuturo mo sa akin kung paano maglaro at mahalin ang basketball. Ang wish ko, makalaro kita minsan ulit, para makita mo ang resulta nang inspirasyong nakuha ko sa paglalaro mo :D