PBA Rookies: When no one wanted Paul Lee

While college hoop stars were sweating it out in the UAAP, Paul Lee was waiting calmly for the PBA Rookie Draft, head neatly shaved. He decided to skip his last playing year in the UAAP for reasons that not everyone could understand. “Ako na lang andun. Wala na kong naiwang ka-batch. Sila Raffy Reyes at Elmer Espiritu wala na," the 22-year-old says, implying that the University of the East Red Warriors didn’t seem like much of a home anymore. His “brothers," after all, had already gone elsewhere. “Mahihirapan na kong dalin yung team. Tsaka oras na eh. Ito na yun. Feeling ko kung hindi pa ngayon, lalagpas na yung time ko," he adds. Leading up to the 2011 PBA Rookie Draft, basketball aficionados predicted that Paul Lee would be a shoo-in as top pick. However, a few days before draft day, seven members of Smart Gilas Pilipinas enlisted, including Jvee Casio. On draft day, Casio was top pick and Paul Lee came in second. Casio's reputation as a clutch shooter in the National Team probably sealed the deal for him. Sports analyst Mico Halili notes: “Paul Lee was the best scoring guard in the draft. If we’re talking about just one-on-one skills, he’s better than Jvee Casio. This makes Paul Lee a player perfectly built for the PBA style of play. He often reminds me of Willie Miller. Laidback pero lethal."

He seemed utterly convinced this was his time. He was no longer content playing in the college league which turned him into a household name. Some might think he's overconfident, especially for someone who was never the top dog. Believe it or not, there was a time no one wanted to get Paul Lee. Unlikely beginning Paul started watching basketball on television when he was only four-years-old. He would call on his parents, asking them to watch him imitate Allen Iverson’s and Kobe Bryant’s moves. “Favorite ko yung crossover. Papanoorin ko sa TV tapos susubukan kong gayahin yung ginagawa ng mga idol ko. Dun nakita ng parents ko na may potential ako sa basketball," he retells. Despite learning the sport at a young age, he never had formal training. He trained himself and he became that good at it. I can’t imagine how much better he could have gotten if he had a mentor early on. “Payatot" Every teenage guy has had dreams of becoming part of the basketball team – that and the perks that come with it. Paul was no different. When he was a high school freshman in San Sebastian College, he felt that playing in the streets was no longer enough. He wanted to play in a legit league like his idols. “Nagpunta ako sa gym tapos nakita ko yung mga varsity players. Ang lalaki nila lahat. Eh noon, maliit ako tapos payatot. Alam ko na hindi ko pa time sumali," the now-6’1" point guard recalls. So no matter how eager he was, he decided to wait and prepare for what he was sure to be an epic basketball debut. He was finally “discovered" when he was in third year high playing in the school’s intramurals. The coach spotted him, made him try out and placed him in the lineup the following year. The San Sebastian Staglets would go on to win the NCAA Juniors Championship in his senior year. Alongside finishing high school with a bang, he got himself a ritual that marked the beginning of his journey to the pros – shaving his own head every game day. “Dati laging mahaba buhok ko. Nung fourth year, wala lang, naisipan ko lang gumawa ng bagong ritual. Kaya pag umaga ng game day, shine-shave ko yung buhok ko. Kahit maigsi pa yan, kakalbuhin ko na ulit," he says. Package deal with Raffy But a championship, and a new hairstyle, weren’t enough to get him to the UAAP or the NCAA. The next year kicked in and he still didn’t have a college. “Nobody contacted me. Nagtataka ako. Mythical Five naman ako pero bakit walang kumukuha sa’kin?" he confesses. His batchmates in the Staglets were already pretty much set on their next steps. Raffy Reyes would go to UE, while Eric Salamat would play for the Ateneo Blue Eagles. He had a good season with the Staglets so there could have been only two reasons why he wasn’t being recruited: he wasn’t good enough or coaches thought he wasn’t graduating yet since he just debuted in the Juniors. It was probably the second. Either way, he had no school to go to. Seeing this, Raffy asked him to join the Red Warriors too. “Yung parents ni Raffy kinausap yung staff ng UE. Sabi nila, ‘Kung kukuhanin niyo si Raffy, kunin niyo na rin sa Paul. Wala pa siyang school eh,’" he says. Coach Dindo Pumaren liked Paul and put him on the team. However, he spent a year in Team B since UE’s guardline was still loaded at that time. He didn’t want to waste a year on the bench. Fast forward to 2011. He has decided to hang the red jersey he wore for four years. He knew he could bag this UAAP season’s Most Valuable Player award but he chose not to. “Di na mahalaga yung UAAP MVP. Nag-Mythical Five ako back-to-back. Champion twice. Satisfied na ko. Time to move on," he says. Could’ve dominated the D-League After playing in the PBL, Paul moved on to the PBA D-League under Cobra. He was finally a go-to guy under Coach Lawrence Chongson’s wings. Unfortunately, his team didn’t go far. Their semi-finals match against Pharex had them choking with as much as a 20-point deficit. To add insult to injury, Paul was ejected for throwing the ball at Edwin Asoro. “Bad exit nga. We could’ve made it far. Nakita ko yung mga makakalaban ko sa D-League at alam ko sa sarili ko na kaya kong mag-dominate," he says. But he wasn’t able to. Once again, he didn’t get the MVP award. Once again, he had to move on. Rookie draft “I asked for a sign kay God. Sabi ko kung hindi mare-renew yung contract ni Coach Lawrence sa UE, magpapa-draft na ko," he says. Come December 2010, his sign came. Jerry Codiñera was handed the coach’s hat. Paul now had to prepare for the draft. He gained 20 pounds, continued training and hoped that this time around, he would be among the first picks. A threat came right before the draft – seven members of Smart Gilas Pilipinas enlisted. These are the guys who represent our country. He knew they were good. “Alam ko magaling sila pero confident naman ako sa pinakita ko dati. I have my strengths gaya ng quickness. Kahit malaki yung katawan ko, kaya ko tumakbo at tumalon. Tsaka hindi ako takot makipag-pisikalan sa PBA," he says. Never for a second did he doubt that he’d get drafted, unlike back in high school and college. Gilas’ Jvee Casio may have been the top pick, but Paul was a close second. Besides, placing doesn’t really matter once the season starts. He is still in Rain or Shine and he signed the maximum salary deal. Looking back at the ease Paul exuded during the Rookie Draft, his seemingly excessive confidence might have been correctly placed. His confidence didn’t arise from being a highly-touted rookie in the amateurs. Neither did he come from a noted family of athletes. He had to work for his place in Philippine basketball. And in the morning before his first PBA game, he will be shaving his head and remembering all the times he thought he wasn’t good enough. He will be out to prove his naysayers wrong by playing well and possibly bagging the Rookie of the Year Award. Paul Lee is no longer that wannabe who didn’t get into the team because he was too short or too thin. He’s now the upcoming PBA superstar who just signed an 8.7-million peso contract on his rookie year. -- OMG, GMA News