Dugout Diaries: Getting To Know That Gentle Giant, Greg Slaughter SLAUGHTER. Whenever you hear this word, the first thing youd think of is death. Merriam-Webster has always been pretty blunt about its definition: SLAUGHTER /ˈslȯ-tər/ noun the act of killing; specifically: the butchering of livestock for market; killing great numbers of human beings (as in battle or a massacre) transitive verb to kill (animals) for food to kill in a bloody or violent manner to kill in large numbers to discredit, defeat, or demolish completely A bit too harsh, I know. So I wouldn’t be surprised if you take a step back if you met someone with SLAUGHTER as his last name. All the more, you will most likely make a run for it, if you see him towering over you, at seven feet. And yes, there is such a person. His name: GREGORY WILLIAM FUENTES SLAUGHTER. His remarkable size has been, of course, his ticket to getting into the field of basketball. It also helped him make an immediate mark in every league hes been a part of. Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, this fellow, like almost all pro basketball players, has been playing since he was young. He claims though that he never has imagined that it will become his life. In 2004, during a vacation in the Philippines, he did not expect that a coincidental basketball event will change his perspective. It was during that year that the PBA All-Star was held in Cebu, in the hometown of Greg’s mom. He was among the crowd cheering for the star players. He shared that Asi Taulava, Ali Peek, and Dondon Hontiveros were among the athletes that really stood out to him. Asi and Ali being near his size gave him a sense of comfort. Dondon, of course, was a homegrown talent, and Greg already knew about his ballin ways. Seeing how the people cheered for the players like they were heroes, how they were admired purely because of their skills, and how they were loved almost with obsession, Greg suddenly saw the possibilities he could have if he too can make the pro league. He saw his fate flash before his eyes. It took three years before he finally decided to fulfill The Dream as he still had to go back to the States for school. It wasn’t until 2007 that he went back to our islands to explore his basketball opportunities. To even make the crucial life decision more dramatic, he flew out on his 19th birthday, May 19. His first stop on his return trip was Cebu. Shortly after, he was accepted to the University of Visayas varsity squad, where he stayed for three seasons. It was in October of 2009 when he was asked to be part of Gilas Pilipinas, and by December of the same year he was already wearing the national colors. He then took the ACET exam to get admitted into the Ateneo de Manila University. He passed, took a year off to establish residency, and then he became a huge part of the Ateneo championship squads of 2011 and 2012. Earlier this year, he was part of the NLEX Road Warriors of the PBA D-League, winning another championship. On November 3, he became the Philippine Basketball Association Annual Rookie Drafts top overall draft pick, selected by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. It was a pivotal moment for Greg to finally make it to the big league, and be the top rookie pick at that. With an impressive basketball resume, he is nothing but motivated to get even better and contribute efficiently and effectively to that team most loved by PBA fans. Jokingly, he said that more than the pressure of having excellent coaches and teammates, it’s the rabid Barangay supporters that scare him to do well in the games. He humbly admitted that his height had always been undoubtedly an advantage, and mostly enough to get wins. But with the practices hes already had with Ginebra, he realized how much more skilled he needs to become to really make an impact. Seven footers are hard to come by, so its nice to see that Gregs willing to make the most out of his length. His mindset—his willingness to work hard in spite of his size advantage—will make things easier for him in the long run. He also knows that he shouldn’t aim to do everything. Hes aware that roles are delegated to individuals, and it is by perfecting what is assigned to him that he can truly be a threat to opponents. Furthermore, Greg says hes happy that, as he treads this unfamiliar terrain of professional basketball, his team includes past acquaintances. These are people he knows can help him fine tune his ways and choices in their athletic craft. From Dylan Ababou, Mac Baracael and JR Reyes during his first Gilas stint, all the way to Emman Monfort in Ateneo, Chris Ellis in the SEA Games, and Japeth Aguilar during the recent FIBA-Asia, Greg believes transitioning to the PBA game wouldn’t be as hard. Aside from that, having heady vets like Mark Caguioa, LA Tenorio, JJ Helterbrand for teammates—banner holders not only of the team but of the league—could only help Greg fully polish his edges. And Im sure Greg would love to get those random pats on the back from these fine players just to know that hes doing a good job. On November 17 (the opening day of the PLDT-DSL Philippine Cup of the PBAs 2013-2014 season) we will see just how this much-ballyhooed batch will perform. Led by the giant, Slaughter, expectations are higher; challenges are tougher, with the end result hopefully being a more exciting league infused with exciting new talent. Though wed love to go into detail about all the new talents that have funneled in this year, we cant help but feel truly excited for the Number One pick—as is the case in many drafts before. -- source: Fhm (c) Erika Padilla.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 22:29:56 +0000
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