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Kevin Alas knows that the best way to lead is by example.
The NLEX team captain bounced back from a blow to lead the Road Warriors in their upset 109-98 victory over undefeated TNT Tropang Giga on Thursday night.
“I just told them we should win one,” Alas said in Filipino. “I really didn’t know how to motivate them more. So I told them to do our best: offensively, defensively, go for the ball, get every bounce.”
NLEX was in dire need of victory after losing five of its first six games.
Just before halftime, Alas collided with TNT’s Jayson Castro’s shoulder, leaving the bloodied NLEX guard on the ground for several minutes. It was not a serious injury and he was able to return at the end of the third quarter.
Alas scored five points on his return from the third quarter and delivered for his team when it mattered most. He played the entire quarter, scoring 11 points on shots of 5 of 6 as NLEX walked away against TNT. After the game, Alas credited his team.
“The coaches put together a good game plan,” Alas said. “The credit goes to my coaches and my teammates, of course.”
Now in his sixth year in the league, Alas has emerged as an intrepid guard and reliable teammate. He has been part of a series of trades after being chosen second overall by Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in 2014.
His young career has been held back by two successive ACL knee injuries. He got back in shape and eventually found a home with NLEX and emerged as one of the best shooting guards in the league.
“Kevin is the captain of our team. He was chosen by the team and he showed why they chose him as the captain of the team,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao. “He just showed his leadership not with mere words, but with actions. Whenever he can help, he will help.
Time and time again, Alas has shown that he can bounce back from injuries. Thursday’s performance showed that he can back up his words by leading his team to victory.
“Kevin is a warrior. Maybe that’s why they call us Road Warriors,” Guiao said. “Kevin is a warrior and he showed his leadership, he showed what material he’s made of and I’m proud of him.”
