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Gilas reserve Anthony grateful, wants to represent PH before retiring

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Levi Joshua Verora Jr.

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="NLEX" s="" Sean="" Anthony.="" PBA="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/5/03/20230503-pba.jpg"/><figcaption>NLEX&#x27;s Sean Anthony. <em>PBA Images.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- Before his career winds down, Sean Anthony wants to wear the Gilas Pilipinas uniform again.</p><p>The NLEX Road Warriors forward said he is fortunate to have joined a great collection of talents and coaches when he lent a helping hand to the men&#x27;s national squad as a practice player ahead of the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia.</p><p>&quot;It was super fun. You have a lot of high-level talents there, playing with a lot of guys who can do things really well,&quot; Anthony said.</p><p>&quot;I used that as a great learning experience as well, learning from Coach Chot (Reyes), Coach Tim (Cone), Coach Jong (Uichico) who I’ve never played for, I learned new things from those coaches and things from the high-level players.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/23/20/pba-sean-anthony-takes-pride-being-named-defensive-player-of-the-year">PBA: Sean Anthony takes pride being named Defensive Player of the Year</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Those guys buy into the mission to bring back the gold, so to see that level of talent and coaching all in one place was a really cool experience,&quot; he added.</p><p>Even if Anthony was not originally part of the 28-man selection submitted to the SEA Games committee, he made himself a regular fixture in Gilas practices until Reyes and the final 14 trained in Calamba, Laguna.</p><p>&quot;Everyone who is there is highly committed and is working hard, preparing their best to try and bring back the gold, so to the guys that are on the team, they all want to be there. They’re all working really hard and trying to come together as a team,&quot; he said.</p><p>Born in Vancouver, Canada, Anthony grew up not being much acquainted with how much Filipinos love basketball.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/07/21/pba-sean-anthony-thanks-northport-after-phoenix-trade">PBA: Sean Anthony thanks NorthPort after Phoenix trade</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I used to visit my grandparents here every summer growing up (Makati). We played pick up in the park and I always remember it as being super fun and competitive. I didn’t know how big across the whole country it was because I didn’t watch a lot of it,&quot; Anthony shared.</p><p>When Anthony received a call up to play for the original Gilas program led by Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman back in 2008, he finally understood the magnitude of what donning the tricolor jersey and having the Philippine flag on his chest meant.</p><p>&quot;I saw the amount of following on the Gilas I team, and I was like, wow, Filipinos do love basketball. I wore the actual Philippines jersey in 2008 when we had a tournament in Tokyo. It’s an honor and a prideful thing to represent your fellow countrymen,&quot; he said.</p><p>Anthony joined original Gilas members like Chris Tiu, Mark Barroca, JVee Casio, and Mac Baracael during a Las Vegas training camp in 2008, before finishing his collegiate diploma at McGill University back in Canada.</p><p>From there, the 6-foot-4 workhorse would embark on more than a decade-long PBA career.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/15/20/pba-fresh-off-mythical-team-nod-anthonys-full-focus-is-on-championship">PBA: Fresh off Mythical Team nod, Anthony&#x27;s full focus is on championship</a></li></ul><p>&quot;You’re proud to play for your countrymen and you feel, you’re living in the Philippines, you’re surrounded by Filipinos, so it’s like you play for everyone in the country. There’s a lot more to it,&quot; he said.</p><p>And before he hangs it up, Anthony wants to represent the Philippines as a veteran, whatever international competition it may be.</p><p>&quot;It was really a memorable experience. I don’t want to take those things for granted. I would love to retire in the following years and while I still can, I want to serve the country again in any capacity and wear the flag,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jcd2on4nK0c?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><br/> </div>

Before his career winds down, Sean Anthony wants to wear the Gilas Pilipinas uniform again.