Asi Taulava admits feeling old after nasty fall against Alaska

Three days after turning back time with a 20-20 performance against Meralco, the evergreen Asi Taulava finally felt his age catching up with him on Friday night.

The oldest player in the league went down on the floor midway through the third quarter of the game between NLEX and Alaska after a rebound battle with Aces center Sonny Thoss.

Taulava landed flat on his back and took some time to get up on his feet, forcing himself to admit that he is no longer young after the game.

"I was like, 'Stand up a little bit faster!' I'm trying to get up, but I don't know, I feel like I'm 42 right now," he said with a laugh. "But it wasn't painful, it just knocked the wind out of me."

NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez immediately subbed him of the game after the nasty fall, but he eventually checked back in at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Rock, however, finished with only 10 points and seven rebounds, his lowest output seven games into the All-Filipino conference.

"It was more of my ego hurting right now than my back," he said. "I got my ass kicked tonight."

Just like fellow veteran Eric Menk, who played with a broken nose without a mask, Taulava was more concerned with helping his team win rather than a little pain.

"[For] the old school guys, it doesn't matter. A little blood, a little broken nose, a little cut somewhere. That's part of the game," he said. "You love the game so much you gotta come back the next day." —JST, GMA News