For Benilde tower Ladis Lepalam, height is key to help his parents

Some say that in basketball, height is might. But for this big man from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, height is his key to helping his parents.

Meet Ladis Lepalam, a force in the paint from the Blazers squad, who was already 6-foot-9 the last time he measured his height in 2019.

Despite his height, Lepalam was a late bloomer in basketball, having only played the sport after graduating from grade school.

"Noong Grade 6, karamihan ng mga kaklase ko ang bababa," said Lepalam, who recalled being already 6-foot-2 then. "Sabi ng mga teacher ko, bakit daw ganyan ako kalaki? Bakit daw hindi ako mag-basketball?"

["When I was in Grade 6, many of my classmates were small. My teachers asked why am I this big? Why don't I play basketball?"]

From then, he learned other basketball skills such as dribbling and shooting, and eventually, with his towering feature, he found his way to the Taft-based squad.

Lepalam, a hotel and restaurant management major, said that he will make the most out of his height and devote himself to basketball.

"Yung isang way na dapat ipagpatuloy ko ang binigay na height sa 'kin is basketball talaga. Du'n ko na ifo-focus lahat ng attention ko, siyempre bukod sa paag-aaral," Lepalam said.

"Du'n ko ibibigay kasi, 'yun 'yung magiging isang way ko para makarating sa highest [level] and at the same time makatulong sa parents ko."

["I'll harness this height by using it for basketball, I'll put my attention into it, aside from studies, of course. I'll use it for basketball because it's my way to reach the highest [level] and at the same time help my parents."]

Watch out for Lepalam and the rest of the CSB squad in the upcoming season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association which will air on GMA Network's different platforms.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/MGP, GMA News