LOS ANGELES -- Inside the LA Lakers' training facility in UCLA sitting in the back was Filipino-Nigerian AJ Edu, one of 67 players hoping for his name to be called. One by one, men and women were honored as All-Stars in the Basketball Without Borders camp. Thirteen players were named, with potential NBA Draft lottery pick Charles Bassey amongst them.
Edu waited, but his name was never called. The All-Stars were named, but he wasn't one of them.
But that's okay. Edu is used to that. He's used to being an underdog. He is Filipino after all, and we as a nation will almost always be considered the underdog, especially against international competition.
Instead, Edu was just happy to be part of the Basketball Without Borders camp. For a young kid born in Cyprus, playing basketball across the world was the last thing on his mind.
"I never really imagined being in the U.S.," Edu admitted. "I was just playing basketball because I was tall. Just seeing how much basketball has done for me is amazing right now."
The camp was an excellent opportunity for Edu, as he got the opportunity to learn from NBA and WNBA coaches. Not only that, he was able to get hands-on lessons from NBA players like Al Horford, Sam Dekker and legends like Gary Payton.
"The main difference is the level of competition," Edu shared. "Some of these guys are future prospects, so it just gives me an idea of what I need to do to make it to this level."
"It's an amazing experience," added Edu. I learned a lot playing against such high level competition, meeting great coaches and NBA players. It was a great experience.
"Physically, he's impressive," said BWB Coach Chris Ebersole. "He's long, great size for his position, moves very well. I'm very impressed with him overall."
"As he continues to develop his skills inside and on the perimeter, he'll have a chance to be really good."
The three-day camp was held in the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. The Lakers moved into this facility in 2017, and seeing their NBA titles glisten in the background while Edu sat and listened to his coaches was quite a sight. On one hand, you can't help but feel in awe of being a part of all of this during NBA All-Star Weekend. But on the other hand, if you're Edu, it's a reminder of the journey he has to take.
But he's on the right track. His dream is to play for Gilas Pilipinas in 2023, and the youngster will be prepared when the time comes.
"I'm definitely looking forward to playing in front of Filipino fans in 2023," AJ shared. "That's just gonna be amazing. They're so passionate about basketball, and that's gonna be the best experience for me."
But for today, Edu is focused on improving and getting better. He's so young, it's difficult to get a read on what kind of player he wants to be. But the player that he's been eyeing is a certain Greek Freak that is taking the NBA world by storm. "I've been watching a lot of Giannis (Antetokounmpo) videos, that's why he's one of my idols," Edu confessed. "Also Kevin Durant. That's why I hope to emulate them in the future."
"I think it's exciting to watch all these guys see big players in our league," Coach Ebersole shared. "Players with big size, but also still have perimeter skills and are versatile, and really a nightmare for defense on that end, and then offense on that end. Guys like Giannis are great models for these guys. You can tell in this cam the influence that those guys are having on how these guys train and practice and try to develop their game."
He will keep working and improving, even as gets better. After the camp, Edu got ready to return to Staples Center, in order to soak in the All-Star Game. The wide-eyed youngster is soaking in everything right now, eager to build on the promise that he is showing with each passing year.
It will be exciting to see him improve and evolve, as the years go on. Questions about where he plans to go to college linger, but the more pressing question should be where can he go that will help him become an even better player, and one of the building blocks for Gilas Pilipinas moving forward.
Just like Edu's wingspan, the sky's the limit for his future. From one underdog basketball nation to another, having Edu represent the Philippines just makes sense. After all, who best to wear our nation's flag then someone who's also hungry to prove himself on the world stage?
"I can definitely relate to that," Edu said of the underdog mentality of the Philippines. "I've been under the radar for a long time now. It's only recently that i'm getting on the radar, especially with this camp. I can definitely relate to that."