Jerom Lastimosa raring to learn from Magnolia’s veteran guards

MANILA — Jerom Lastimosa's return to the hardcourt will be a very special moment for the young guard.

After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during his last playing year with Adamson University in the UAAP, Lastimosa has focused on his recovery back to playing condition.

"Sa ngayon, aggressive rehab ako. Sabi naman ng PT [physical therapist] ko, nasa around 70 to 80 percent na ako. So hopefully, as soon as possible, maka balik na ako sa pag lalaro," said the former King Falcon after being selected as the ninth overall pick in the 2024 PBA Rookie Draft by the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots.

READ: Baltazar goes to Converge with No. 1 pick

This means that when he returns to the sport, it will be in the PBA -- and with a Magnolia squad that is looking to inject some young blood into its veteran-laden squad which features the likes of Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Rafi Reavis, and Jio Jalalon.

"Actually, di ko ine-expect na Magnolia yung mag pi-pick sa akin," said the 5-foot-10 court general.

"Pero ayun nga, sobrang blessed na sa lahat ng teams, I think na yung pinaka magandang team yung napuntahan ko," he added.

Lastimosa is already looking forward to playing and training alongside the veterans of Magnolia.

"Sobrang excited ako matuto sa kanila. Madadagdagan yung learnings ko, lalo na mula kay kuya Mark, kuya Jio," he continued. 

Aside from this, Lastimosa is also baking on his experience of playing with Gilas Pilipinas in their gold medal finish in last year's Southeast Asian Games.

"Yung advantage ko is yung experience ko. Naka harap na ako ng iba't ibang players sa international, so siguro yun yung magiging advantage ko sa ibang players dito sa draft," he said.