The Final Score: Dondon Hontiveros, a recharged life begins at 34

The hair did it. The world opened a new year in the life of Gilas shooting guard Dondon Hontiveros. Reddish hair color and a sharp new haircut accentuated Dondon's 34th birthday. He looked fit. He looked ready. Batang-bata ang dating. Like a player rejuvenated. Like a player determined to fit-in with a bunch of twenty-somethings. Like a winner eager to join a system designed for international success. Sa buhok pa lang, admittedly the haircut made him look five years younger, Dondon knew June 1, 2011 was going to be a good day. 2011 has been a funky year for Hontiveros. His team lost in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals in February. Then, his team lost its opening game in the succeeding PBA conference. Afterwards, his team, after over 10 years, was no longer his team. Dondon, at least perceivably, was no longer indispensable. It's tough to be moving around the league if you're 33 years old. It's even tougher for a player who seemed destined to retire in a San Miguel uniform. But 2011 is far from over. In fact, the year is just halfway done. Yet it feels like Dondon's been through a catharsis these past four months. Out of San Miguel. Inside Air 21. Out of the loop. Back in the role of go-to-guy. Out of relevance. Back into significance. Rumor has it Dondon's moving days aren't done. Fact of the matter is: Dondon is still one of the best shooting guards in a country populated mostly by shooting guards. The process of renewal continues. Hence, in the last game of the preliminary round, in day 5 of the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, against ASU-Jordan, Hontiveros found his rhythm, his three-point shot, his redemption, his validation. Each time he launched a three-point attempt, fans inside the Philsports Arena raised their arms, teammates on the bench left their seats, and a television audience that has seen him sink crucial three-pointers for over a decade knew what was coming. He took 11 attempts. He made 6. In most opportune times. Just when Gilas needed it. Just when we wondered if number 7 still had what it took to hit big shots. Just when we were looking for a reason to believe. The shooting form hasn't changed. Surely it has been tweaked, improved. But the three-point touch is the same. Orig' pa rin. Gawang-Cebu. Same swish. Different year. The accompanying cheers to every Hontiveros 3-pointer reminded me of Cebu back in 1998. Back when people proclaimed Dondon Hontiveros was the first coming of Dondon Hontiveros, that he would make it big in the PBA, that he would become Cebu's new basketball hero. He was only 21 then. He's a wiser 34 now. The hair has changed. His PBA status has changed. But even in the wave of changes 2011 has presented, Dondon remains true to himself. He can still make a crowd roar in a way only Dondon can. -- GMA News