Newsome is eyeing to be part of Gilas' Final 12 for the tournament.
21 were called upon, but only 12 will ultimately don the Gilas Pilipinas jersey in the official games of the FIBA World Cup.
Coach Chot Reyes has said it before that practicing with the whole pool allows them to have options and flexibility. With that, it becomes inevitable that a part of the training is that players are not just training together, they are also competing for the limited slots.
So while it is every man or player for himself, Chris Newsome said that the pool members continue to respect one another when they are out on the court.
“Everybody is going about it with respect and honor, I think that's the best way to say, it's that we're all competing,” Newsome said on One Sports’ The Game.
Newsome, though, admitted that the feeling of trying out for a World Cup slot felt different at first, especially after a few words of motivation from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio.
“Boss Al Panlilio comes in and he gives us the talk that this is one of the biggest events that will be held in the Philippines for a long time and so this is something that is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Newsome.
“Whenever you hear those words, you're definitely saying like, 'Yeah, I wanna be a part of that',” he added.
The Meralco Bolts star was crucial in Gilas’ redemption mission in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, finishing with 16 points and 4 assists against host nation Cambodia in the gold medal game.
Gilas, which began its training camp last June 7, is expected fly over to Europe to get into tune-up matches as part of the buildup for the FIBA World Cup.
But whether it’s competing in tournaments or just joining team practices, Newsome cherishes the opportunity to wear a Philippine jersey.
“It's always an honor to be able to represent the country, to wear Pilipinas, to have that jersey,” said Newsome. “It's a feeling that I never want to take for granted.”
(GM)