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“Oh Brother!”
Story and Pictures by: Patricia Bermudez-Hizon
(November 8, 2008)
Eddie Mangahas was legendary in the baranggay
basketball leagues in his hometown of San Pedro, Laguna.
People around that town still remember the burly guard,
who was a quick and aggressive sharp shooting hard court
hero. He has long since abandoned the hopes to be a
professional player, and has taken the role of motivator
to his children who are now trying to pursue their own
basketball dreams.
 Allan
and James Mangahas are two exciting amateur players
set to be part of PBL history as one of the very few
brother tandems to play in one team, like Elmer and
Dwight Lago, Brandon and Brian Sison, and a very short
list of others. The younger Allan, was drafted 2nd overall
by the Toyota Sparks team under the cudgels of Coach
Ariel Vanguardia. James, a De La Salle University standout,
was called up on the 2nd round.
“They’re more than what I
expected” beamed Vanguardia who is confident that
his new recruits will play a big role in his squad mostly
composed of JRU Heavy Bombers who were runners up to
San Beda in the last NCAA finals, and some DLSU Archers,
also runners up, including the indefatigable JV Casio.
Allan plays for the Mapua Cardinals and
was key for the Leo Isaac coached squad who defeated
the Heavy Bombers during the eliminations of the last
NCAA season. “He killed us in that game, so I’m
glad he’s now on our side” said Vanguardia
as  he
recalled how Allan bucked a twisted right ankle to lift
the Cardinals to a victory with a 22 point production,
12 in the final quarter, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4
steals. The nightmare that he was is turning out to
be a dream acquisition as he’s proving to be a
reliable guard with speed and smarts.
James on the other hand had numerous
“Big Game” moments with La Salle as a power
forward, but it’s his return to his natural 3
position that excites him. “I’m big, I can
shoot and I have post moves” enumerated the Archer
who helped propel his collegiate team to the Finals.
Things will not be breezy for this swing man as he’ll
have the gargantuan task of guarding bigger players
in his position, though Coach Ariel is confident that
James can get it done.
 The
brothers are excited to play for the Sparks as they
haven’t been together in one team since their
high school days. The former PCU players were the go-to
guys and really learned to compliment each other on
the hard court. They wanted to stay together in college
but Allan did not get to iron out entrance issues in
DLSU.
The younger Mangahas said that his “Kuya
can do a lot, can shoot from the outside and is very
athletic”. The older sibling just proudly recalled
how Allan was an NCAA Rookie of the Year and how he’s
such a talented player. He denied that there’s
any sibling rivalry and even expressed pride when he
saw his brother drafted ahead of him. “We’re
the best of friends” echoed the two.
The Toyota Sparks organization truly
treasures the the Mangahas brothers especially because
they’re a family-oriented organization, distributing
the leading family car. Having Allan and James in the
line up keeps them in tune with their corporate marketing.
“They’re the future of the team” said
Vanguardia.
|
The
franchise is hoping that they’ll finally get to
win a championship. Coach stated that they’re
the most intact team with only 4 additions. The hunger
factor will also play a part, as well as having veteran
Eric Rodriguez who’s been with the team since
2003 hoping to end his PBL career with a championship.
basketball
scene as an RP Youth Team member. All three children
are getting full support from their parents who have
such difficulty zipping from one game to another. Good
thing the PBL games will also host the WPBL battles.
The Mangahas kids all in one roof!
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