Second-generation DLSU Green Archer Jacob Cortez spoke about the impact of being able to play for his father’s alma mater in the UAAP.
Jacob Cortez made his long-awaited debut in the UAAP for De La Salle on Saturday, and the second generation star lived up to the billing — fashioning a clutch performance to help the Green Archers avert disaster against Adamson.
In his first UAAP game with La Salle, Cortez eked out 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting clip to go along with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
[RELATED: Jacob Cortez wills La Salle past Adamson for rousing start in UAAP men's basketball]
After getting his La Salle debut, Cortez spoke about what it meant for him — especially after growing up with the Green Archers thanks to his father Mike’s storied career with the Taft-based school from 2000 to 2002, winning two
championships.
“It felt good at first when I was warming up by them. Because I remember as a kid, I was always watching La Salle. Like, we'd see the Green Archers play," Cortez said.
“And then now, after all those years, I'm finally playing for La Salle. And it just feels surreal. And it's a blessing, of course.”
Finding balance in his role
While Cortez plays as a point guard, he also has the ability to be able to create offense of his own, and take charge of the Green Archers in pressure situations — just like he did against Adamson.
Still, with a bigger goal in mind, Cortez remains committed to playing to what the team needs from him.
Whether it be points or assists or just creating opportunities for his teammates, Cortez is happy to provide it for the Green Archers.
“I'm just spending time with the guys and like see, watch, study their tendencies. And like, but on the off ball side, it's more of like a brotherhood. And they just let me do my thing. I let them do their thing,” he said.
“If anyone gets out of line, we call each other out. And it's just, it's really healthy. And I think that translates to on the court.”
With the rest of the season still ahead of them, Cortez is eager to bring what he can to the table.
Though there are a lot of expectations as the son of a UAAP legend, he isn’t minding any of them — rather, it’s all about restoring La Salle to its former glory.
“No added pressure. No pressure at all, actually,” he admitted.
“I just, you know, I turned it into motivation for me to do better. Improve. Improve,” he continued.
Cortez and La Salle return to action against season hosts UST on Saturday, September 27, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.