- 2 years ago
A new chapter begins for Robert Bolick in the PBA as the high-scoring guard suits up for the NLEX Road Warriors.
Berto joins us live in the studio!
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Berto joins us live in the studio!
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Robert Bonick is back home with a new team.
00:02 The prolific scoring guard begins a new chapter in the PBA
00:05 by joining the NLX Road Warriors.
00:07 Now, what should we expect this time around from Berto,
00:11 the former PBA All-Star, former King Lion,
00:15 the Red Mama, as I call him?
00:17 Let's find out. Joining us right now to go all out on this story
00:19 live inside the studio is Berto himself!
00:22 Robert Bonick, ice in my veins!
00:24 I need to touch you because this is Berto.
00:27 Because this is Berto.
00:29 First interview, right? On CNSF.
00:30 Yes, yes.
00:31 You filmed everything.
00:33 Yes, for you.
00:34 You even filmed me.
00:37 Say hi to the fans. Go ahead.
00:39 Hello to the PBA fans and to the NLX Road Warriors.
00:43 Thank you for filming me.
00:46 You should have filmed me.
00:47 And the BD Stars, of course.
00:48 We're already champions on Sunday.
00:50 We'll get there. Just relax.
00:53 First of all, Berto, thank you for being back here in the studio.
00:57 We've known each other a long time, since college.
01:00 How does it feel to be back in the PBA?
01:02 You had nine points, four assists.
01:05 How would you assess your debut in the NLX?
01:07 Because you told me you were nervous about that game.
01:11 First of all, I want to thank the PBA.
01:16 They accepted me.
01:17 I came back without any other thoughts.
01:20 They accepted me again.
01:21 I was really nervous in the first game.
01:23 -Because? -A lot.
01:24 As a rookie?
01:26 I take pride in preparation.
01:29 I didn't anticipate it.
01:32 I wasn't prepared.
01:34 I trusted myself.
01:36 There were times when I didn't trust myself.
01:40 Two months before I held the ball and practiced on Tuesday.
01:43 On Wednesday, I had to talk and text.
01:46 For the first time, I was nervous.
01:49 I didn't know what I was going to show.
01:53 What part of the game...
01:56 It's part of your genes.
01:57 Basketball is basketball.
01:59 Is there a part where you had a hard time?
02:02 The timing, fatigue?
02:05 -What part of the game... -Everything.
02:08 -You were still a kid. -I was nervous.
02:10 All basketball players know this.
02:13 Even if you go to the gym, if you don't play,
02:16 you'll be nervous when you go in.
02:19 I was nervous. I didn't know what I was going to do.
02:21 I just practiced with my teammates.
02:25 I didn't know what to do.
02:27 At least, we showed a good first half.
02:30 We won.
02:31 But we weren't...
02:33 We weren't complete.
02:35 By the next game, for sure, we'd be complete.
02:38 -It's dangerous. -I didn't expect that.
02:41 We had the fluidity to be together.
02:44 What did you miss the most in the PBA?
02:46 I missed the competition. I missed the PBA family.
02:49 This was my first professional competition.
02:52 When I left, I thought I'd have a hard time.
02:58 -But they accepted me. -No problem at all?
03:00 No problem at all.
03:02 PBA Commissioner Willie Marshall,
03:04 the PBA, the North Port, the NLACs.
03:07 -No problem. -No problem.
03:09 They were very nice.
03:11 They gave me the opportunity to come back.
03:14 You had no problem. You're a good guy.
03:16 -I'm thankful. -You're a good professional player.
03:18 -I'm thankful. -You didn't have any issues.
03:21 You didn't have any problems.
03:23 -No ejections. -No, no.
03:25 -I haven't been ejected yet. -Don't.
03:28 -You were ejected in the NCO. -In the NCO.
03:31 But not in the PBA.
03:32 You played in Japan.
03:34 You were in the B-League.
03:36 -Matthew Wright, the Ravenna Brothers. -Yes.
03:38 I know we've talked about this.
03:40 Japan is a great place.
03:41 Fukushima, firebombs.
03:43 What were the big differences you saw?
03:47 Because you played there, you got the taste,
03:50 you got the experience.
03:51 And then, you came back.
03:53 What were the differences you saw in the PBA in the B-League?
03:56 For me, first,
04:01 there were three imports.
04:03 Two on the inside.
04:05 And one Asian import. So, there were three of us.
04:09 The game style was like college.
04:11 It was 10 minutes.
04:13 -Fast. -Fast.
04:15 So, I think, for me,
04:19 I don't want to make a mistake.
04:21 -We all have our own ideas. -No, but you experienced it.
04:24 For me, the Filipinos are very skilled.
04:28 College-wise, high school-wise, even in the pro league.
04:31 They're very skilled.
04:33 That's the only thing I didn't see in Japan.
04:37 But in Japan, they put in a lot of effort.
04:40 I was tired even during the warm-up.
04:42 Their intensity and effort were on another level.
04:46 They were able to bring...
04:48 I'm not saying they weren't skilled.
04:50 We're all professionals.
04:52 We're all a bit better.
04:53 But their effort was like college.
04:57 -They were really persistent. -Yes.
04:58 -They were persistent. -The intensity.
05:01 -They always go hard. -Yes, they always go hard.
05:03 It was different.
05:04 I was asked this a few times.
05:06 In the PBA, we were more of an NBA style.
05:09 12-minute ball game.
05:10 -More execution. -More physical.
05:12 Their physicality was different.
05:14 Compared to the B-League,
05:16 we were more of a college style.
05:18 10 minutes.
05:20 More of a FIBA style.
05:22 -FIBA style of play. -Yes.
05:24 When you see someone who's good at FIBA,
05:27 when it comes to the NBA,
05:28 they have a different style of play.
05:32 I'm also surprised that
05:34 out of all the Filipinos who went,
05:35 they were able to adjust.
05:37 -I'm happy. -Didn't you have a hard time adjusting?
05:40 No, because I went to college.
05:42 I was already there.
05:43 Coach Pido's style at the time
05:46 was also like that.
05:47 So, it was just a bit...
05:50 It was a 10-minute style.
05:52 -You go hard. -You go hard.
05:54 The first three minutes were the most important.
05:56 You go hard. You're tired.
05:57 -And you go fast. -You go fast.
06:00 That's it.
06:01 NLX,
06:03 let's do this live.
06:04 How are you liking the environment
06:06 in which you just practiced?
06:07 Because we heard that you offered on Sunday
06:09 that you saw Game 2 in Moa,
06:11 Beda, Mapua, in the NCAA.
06:13 Then, on Monday,
06:15 we heard that it became official on Monday
06:17 that you practiced on Tuesday.
06:19 How's the whole NLX environment?
06:23 It's okay.
06:25 I was really taken care of.
06:28 Of course, it started with the MVP,
06:30 going down to our governor,
06:32 Boss Ronald,
06:33 coaching staff, teammates.
06:35 They're all nice.
06:36 Of course, we have a lot of BDistas there.
06:39 I had a teammate, Sean Anthony, in Northport.
06:41 Clint, my teammate in Northport.
06:42 Clint, Kentoy, my teammate as well.
06:45 So, I have a bit of familiarity with my teammates.
06:49 My coaching staff, I was with Coach JB Sison.
06:52 I was with him in San Pedro. We were champions.
06:54 Coach Frankie, we just met.
06:56 But for sure, there's a connection.
06:58 -Even the connection. -Yes.
07:02 So, all in all,
07:04 it's okay. I hope the first game was a win.
07:06 But it's okay. Robert Bollick is still a rookie.
07:09 We have a lot to talk about.
07:12 I have a lot of questions.
07:13 The fans have questions as well.
07:15 When you played your first game here at NLX,
07:18 one of its pillars was Kuya Aci.
07:21 How many years did you play when he started?
07:24 About three years.
07:26 He was already a pro.
07:29 Let's talk about that.
07:31 How fitting, your first game back in the PBA.
07:34 Kuya Aci, Taulava bid farewell.
07:36 We'll talk about all that with Robert Bollick
07:39 after a really quick timeout.
07:41 Stay tuned to Sports Test only here on CNN Philippines
07:44 where we go all out for the day's top sports stories.
07:46 And we're still with Robert Bollick.
07:48 Welcome back to Sports Test only here on CNN Philippines.
07:56 As you can see, our guest today for his first TV interview
07:58 since being traded, since coming back from Japan.
08:00 He's laughing. Robert Bollick of the NLX Road Warriors.
08:04 That's why Berto is laughing.
08:05 He refused a lot of things to be a guest here on our show.
08:09 NLX, Kiefer went to Japan.
08:12 Kevin, unfortunately, get well, Kevin.
08:14 We saw he had surgery on his ACL.
08:17 Kevin Alas.
08:18 They need a point guard and they need that star power.
08:21 They got both of you.
08:23 Robert Bollick, star, big-time player, NCAA,
08:26 scored 50 points in the game in the NCAA against the Orillianos.
08:29 Was there pressure like that?
08:30 Did you talk to them, "Berto, we need you here"?
08:34 "Be smooth here"? Was there anything like that?
08:37 They already knew me.
08:39 For me, I'm giving myself pressure
08:41 because I'm preparing myself to reach this point in my life.
08:46 From college to the pros.
08:49 My work ethic is really different.
08:52 So I'm doing all of that
08:55 so when it comes to the game, I'm prepared for anything that happens.
08:58 So whatever their expectations are, I'll do everything
09:03 if I can afford to do it.
09:05 At least they'll see the effort that I'm putting in.
09:08 Right.
09:09 So your first game was Wednesday.
09:12 That was the final game of Darac, Aci Taulava.
09:14 24 seasons in the P-Bate.
09:16 Wow. You were only three years old when you were playing Darac.
09:21 - And... - Coach.
09:22 It's a shame that you didn't play there.
09:29 And you didn't get the win for Aci there.
09:31 And when you came back, you talked to Aci.
09:33 What did Aci say to you that you can share?
09:37 You can't forget that conversation.
09:40 Of course, when I first got there, I found out that he was already retired.
09:46 So I talked to him. He said, "I want this win."
09:49 He said, "At least you'll win."
09:51 And I can't forget Aci.
09:54 I can't remember when it was. 2018 or 2019.
09:58 - I was just a rookie. - Okay.
10:00 We had a PBA TLC.
10:03 - We had a guesting. - Okay.
10:06 Aci was there. The TV was nice. It was a big TV.
10:09 I couldn't do it because I was a rookie.
10:11 I talked to Aci. "Aci, I want that TV."
10:14 Okay. So he went to...
10:17 He said, "Robert wants that TV."
10:20 I said, "How can I get that?"
10:23 I played a game. I won.
10:25 He said, "Go. Take it home."
10:27 That's when I realized that he was a different person.
10:31 He could get it for himself.
10:34 He gave it to me. I took it home.
10:36 It's still with me.
10:38 - You can't forget that. - I can't forget that.
10:41 - I was just a rookie. - Of course.
10:43 He made it for me.
10:46 Now, we're on the same team.
10:48 It's a shame because we retired.
10:51 - But it's okay. - Yes.
10:52 - He's a family man. - Yes.
10:55 Let's look at the time you traded.
10:57 Even though a lot of people were surprised,
11:00 did you expect that?
11:01 And at the same time,
11:03 what happened during the trade?
11:05 Because people were waiting. Bolick came back from Japan.
11:08 "Where will Robert play? Will he play in Northport?"
11:10 "Will he trade here? Here? Here?"
11:12 What happened?
11:14 When I got home,
11:17 I called Marvin.
11:19 - He's my agent. - Marvin is your agent.
11:21 I told him, "Boss, I'll leave it to you."
11:24 I went home because I had to take care of my wife.
11:28 I don't know when it was. October 18 or 17.
11:32 I didn't play anymore.
11:33 We just stayed at home. I was just watching.
11:37 I didn't do anything.
11:38 I just let Marvin do whatever he wanted.
11:43 He told me that I was already traded
11:46 and that I had an opportunity to play for Enlix.
11:49 I also went back to my boss, MVP,
11:52 - Boss Ronald. - Mm.
11:54 Of course, I was happy.
11:56 So, I also gave a shout-out to Northport.
11:58 They took care of me.
12:00 How was your relationship with Northport?
12:01 Did you talk to Coach Pidon?
12:03 - Yes. - I know he's now with UST.
12:05 Yes, for sure.
12:06 I will never forget Northport.
12:08 It was what dropped me.
12:09 I called all the coaches,
12:11 Governor Eric, Boss Bonnie, Coach Pidon.
12:15 I called all of them.
12:17 Especially Coach Pidon.
12:18 When I was drafted, he was my coach.
12:21 We also had Stanley Pringle.
12:23 He gave me confidence.
12:26 He gave me the opportunity to do it.
12:30 I became a Sinoman until now.
12:34 A big part of that was Northport, Coach Pidon, and Coach Bonnie.
12:38 I brought them all.
12:39 I will never forget that.
12:40 I still have my respect for their coach.
12:44 When I first called Coach Pidon,
12:45 I said, "Coach, thank you. I will never forget you."
12:47 Even when we had a good conference,
12:50 we lost,
12:52 you were still sticking with me.
12:53 You let me play.
12:56 He trusted me.
12:58 I will never forget that.
12:59 I understand them, too.
13:01 Of course.
13:01 You had good runs.
13:03 - I remember you even had a mouth-to-mouth. - Yes.
13:05 That's one of the things people want from you.
13:07 You said, "I'm blessing you because you're so kind."
13:10 You had a good relationship.
13:11 You had a good relationship with everyone.
13:13 You didn't have a bad relationship.
13:15 Speaking of which,
13:16 who are your teammates who are excited to face you in Northport?
13:19 Who are they excited to face?
13:21 Who will be like, "He's dead to me!"
13:24 The time I lost in Northport
13:28 was before almost everyone else.
13:29 I lost all my rookies.
13:32 I lost my big brothers.
13:33 Even Arwin lost.
13:36 Even Arwin arrived late.
13:38 Of course, my big brothers arrived when I arrived.
13:40 Ryan Aranya, Moutao Tua, Stanley Pringle.
13:44 They all left.
13:45 So now, I'm close to Jeff.
13:49 Arvin, I'm with him.
13:50 - Jeff Chan, yeah. - Mjai.
13:53 I'm with Kent.
13:56 Those are all my friends.
13:59 But the last...
14:02 the last playing...
14:03 There's a new conference that's just starting.
14:07 It's not a long one.
14:08 That's the one I've been with for a long time.
14:10 - Paulo Taha. - Paulo Taha.
14:12 From my rookie year until my last game in Northport,
14:17 he's still there.
14:18 - That's the relationship. - Of course.
14:20 You surprised everyone.
14:22 I kind of expected it.
14:24 That you'd play in Japan, Fukushima Firebans.
14:26 Until now, a lot of people are still wondering
14:28 why...
14:30 You decided to play in Firebans
14:32 and you decided that Berto would be back soon.
14:35 - Yes, yes. - I know why you decided to play.
14:38 - Yes, yes. - Tell us.
14:39 There's a reason why you came back.
14:43 People don't understand that for sure.
14:46 But for mothers who are pregnant,
14:50 people who are going through that,
14:51 they understand what they're going through.
14:54 That's when they know.
14:57 I prioritize my family.
15:00 Of course.
15:01 I prayed to God. He gave me a man.
15:04 - He really gave me one. - Yes.
15:06 When he said it was hard,
15:10 I said, "That's it. Let's not worry about it.
15:12 Let's go home. God will take care of it."
15:15 I think that's why God is letting me go.
15:19 He guided me here.
15:22 That's how it is.
15:24 It's all in the past.
15:26 - Move forward. - Yes.
15:27 And blessing after blessing.
15:29 You'll be having a baby, Robert Bollick Jr. soon.
15:32 Hello to your wife, by the way, Cassandra,
15:34 who's at home watching. Thank you.
15:35 I'll be at your house on Sunday, Game 3.
15:37 Okay. I know Japan is a good opportunity.
15:40 It's a beautiful country. The food is good.
15:43 And you said accommodation, food, everything.
15:46 Is that something that you would still consider?
15:49 No, not anymore.
15:51 I'm saying goodbye to the international scene.
15:55 I'm here in the business. That's it.
15:58 I just want to be with my family.
15:59 I'm here. I have a child.
16:01 I don't want to move around.
16:03 Would you recommend that to younger players?
16:06 For example, someone approaches you, "Bert,
16:08 do you think I should go to Japan?"
16:10 I think, for me,
16:13 if you're comfortable,
16:15 if you're comfortable with anything,
16:16 in the PBA, you think it's easy.
16:20 But when you go in, there are a lot of things that will surprise you.
16:26 So it's up to you. The opportunity.
16:29 I'm saying, if you have an opportunity to play,
16:32 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in another country,
16:34 why not?
16:35 If that's what you want.
16:37 But if you want to stay here, you're ready.
16:40 Because I feel like it's even harder here.
16:43 I just feel like there are a lot of good players.
16:46 There are a lot of good players here in the PBA.
16:49 So be ready.
16:51 So if you have an opportunity,
16:52 if you're still young and you don't have a family,
16:54 it's up to you. Go take it.
16:56 But if you want to stay here, for sure,
16:59 you're ready.
17:00 It's not easy to get in here in the PBA.
17:03 There are a lot of good players.
17:05 Real talk from Robert Bollick,
17:06 and he will still be with us after this really quick break.
17:08 And Robert will answer the questions that you sent us online.
17:11 Hold on, you'll get better, Robert.
17:13 Stay tuned to Sports As You Only here on CNN Philippines.
17:15 We'll be right back with Robert Bollick.
17:17 And we're back. Thank you for joining us.
17:23 Of course, our guest today,
17:25 basketball star Robert Bollick of the Enlex Road Warriors.
17:27 Now he will answer a question that you sent us online.
17:30 I hope we have time.
17:31 This is from James Oliver Zapata on Instagram,
17:34 who we'll be fitting on the show.
17:35 And he wants to know, Berto, this question.
17:37 What experience abroad
17:39 will you apply for at Enlex
17:43 to make it to the quarterfinals?
17:46 We need to win three games.
17:49 We need to win three games to have a chance.
17:53 He's struggling right now, but he can do it.
17:56 - I can do it. - Okay.
17:57 Last, Beda Mapua, game three.
18:00 I shouldn't be asking because I know you'll answer.
18:01 Beda Mapua, game three. Watch game two.
18:03 - San Beda, for sure. - Why?
18:05 - Even if you have experience, Mapua. - It's easy, right?
18:08 Die hard. I feel like we have a 5-game lead.
18:14 I feel like 86-81.
18:16 - I just feel like it. - There's an answer.
18:19 - Wow. Okay. - San Beda.
18:21 Again, former San Beda,
18:23 Red Lion, King Lion, Red Mamba,
18:26 all of them, Berto, Robert Bollick of the Enlex,
18:29 Road Warriors, thank you so much, Berto.
18:32 - I love you. - Thank you.
18:33 - Your wife, Sandra. - Thank you.
18:34 And your baby, Bollick Jr., thank you.
18:37 Do you want to do the extra? Read it so you can replace me.
18:39 And we've reached-- Go.
18:41 And we've reached today's finish line.
18:44 Join us again tomorrow for Sports Day.
18:46 Weekend at 11 a.m. on Sunday and 9.30 a.m.
18:50 - On Monday. - On Monday for Sports Day.
18:52 - Live. - It's on air.
18:53 - At 8.30 p.m. - Live at 8.30 p.m.
18:54 I'm Robert Bollick. Have a great weekend.
18:57 Yes!
18:58 [laughing]
18:59 I'm the replacement.
19:00 [music playing]
19:02 [music playing]
19:04 (upbeat music)
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