When NLEX Road Warriors were announcing their 7th overall pick in the PBA Season 48 Draft last month, the anticipation built up when team manager Larry Fonacier began uttering "rit-chee".
The crowd let out a collective gasp, expecting Fonacier to follow that with "Rivero" -- as in Ricci Rivero, the former UAAP star who was touted to be a high draft pick.
But Fonacier's next word was "Rodger", and the crowd let out a collective "huh?", which was quickly followed by a collective "who?"
At the press table, reporters scrambled and shuffled through their respective lists of draft applicants, searching for this Richie Rodger.
The choice caught everyone off-guard and wrecked mock drafts everywhere. After all, aside from Rivero, other blue chip prospects such as Brandon Bates and Schonny Winston were still on the board.
Even though he had worked out with the Road Warriors, Rodger himself was taken by surprise.
"I guess I was pretty surprised like everyone else that I was drafted no. 7 overall, but I'm just excited and ready for the opportunity," he told ESPN.
For Road Warriors coach Frankie Lim, it was an easy pick that could turn out to be the steal of the draft.
He surveyed his team and decided they could use a boost at both guard positions. So when player agent Marvin Espiritu called him up a few days before the draft to ask if he would like to take a look at this 26-year-old Fil-foreigner guard who had played for New Zealand in FIBA competition, his interest was piqued.
"I told Marvin to send him over," Lim said. He liked what he saw.
"It's his leadership inside the court, his court vision," Lim narrated. "He distributes the ball well. He really looks at his teammates. He takes the shot when he's wide open, and he makes it.
"Little by little, he'll get used to the game here in the Philippines. He has big upside.
"I chose between a 6-foot-8 guy (Bates) and Richie. And I think Richie will help us more because I saw him two days before the draft day. I saw what he could do as a point guard.
"He's a 'tweener'. He can play 1 and 2 spots. He gives me additional firepower at the 2 spot. At the same time, I can also use him as a point guard. At 6-2 he's a tall point guard. I went for need rather than height."
Already, Rodger is feeling right at home with the Road Warriors, revealing: "I'm really enjoying coach Frankie and his coaching staff. He's a really funny guy.
"(He's) very passionate, he gets after us, he really pushes us. My teammates have been super welcoming, helping me get settled in."
It's not the first time that Lim has taken a chance on an unknown Fil-foreigner point guard in the PBA draft.
He was in a similar situation 20 years ago as team manager of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters when they decided to pick a small kid from California who would go on to win Rookie of the Year and -- later on -- Most Valuable Player.
"Reminds me of that day when we drafted Jimmy Alapag with Talk 'N Text," Lim said of the PBA legend taken 10th overall in his draft. "At that time, that was also my assessment of the team.
"We had point guards, but we didn't really have a point guard with leadership qualities like Jimmy. I think Richie will do well with us."
If Rodger can have even just half of the career that Alapag had, then the Road Warriors will have hit a home run. And as a bonus, the kid already has international playing experience.
"He's from New Zealand," Lim noted. "He was a member of their national pool. He wouldn't have been with their national pool if he wasn't good."
Interestingly enough, Rodger made his debut for the Tall Blacks in the February 2022 window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers against Gilas Pilipinas at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
New Zealand easily won, 88-63, and Rodger managed to see 1:07 of playing time. He went on to play five more games for the Tall Blacks, although he wasn't named to their World Cup squad.
Before that, he matriculated for two years at the University of the East, his mother's alma mater, after being recruited by then Red Warriors coach Joe Silva.
Passport problems prevented him from playing in the UAAP. Then when the pandemic hit, he decided to go back to New Zealand.
Yet, he never lost sight of his dream to play in the PBA and, after he finally got his Philippines passport earlier this year, he took the plunge and joined the draft.
"I've been a big fan of the league for a long time," he said. "I haven't watched it as much. It's pretty hard to watch it in New Zealand. But from what I've experienced so far in practice and tune-up games, it's a fast game, physical."
Rodger thinks he's ready for whatever the PBA will throw at him.
He played professionally for four years in New Zealand, where the league is also known to be physical. His versatility and unselfishness, he feels, are his best traits.
"I guess I'm just an unselfish player," he added. "I've been playing point guard (and) shooting guard my whole life, actually.
"I guess I was just lucky enough that (NLEX) invited me for a workout and I'm glad I was able to impress them."