Energy as defined by Marqus Blakely

Two hours before San Mig Coffee plays Talk ‘N Text in the PBA Governors’ Cup, San Mig Coffee import Marqus Blakely, surprisingly, looks relaxed. Sitting in the patron section of the MOA Arena, wearing a dark, skinny tie over a denim shirt covered in mini-polka-dots, the always-energetic Blakely doesn’t look restless.

Even when he signs his name on a fan’s shirt, he takes his time. Even when he talks, he gives every syllable a lot of thought. However, I am not fooled. Neither are you. We know this calm man is just pre-game Blakely before the actual in-game Blakely – the one who would finish the game with 21 points, 22 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks - frantically takes over. This is how water looks like way before it reaches the boiling point.

MH: Could you define what energy is?

MB: Basketball energy?

MH: Yes. Basketball energy.

MB: Playing with passion. Playing with heart. Forty-eight minutes of intensity.

MH: When people watch you, they probably wonder where do you get all that energy.

MB: I think it’s just being competitive and not wanting to lose which is huge. When it comes to winning and losing, I don’t like to lose. So preparing yourself to win and seeing things that you can do to give you that energy to do that, whether it’s running back on defense, taking the charge, or catching a dunk. It’s all within the game of being competitive.

MH: You’re very laid back when you talk. You’re very deliberate when you talk. So I feel like you’re saving all your energy for the game.

MB: (Laughs.) Yeah. Off the floor, I’m not very energetic. When it comes to on the floor, I like being competitive. It could be anything. We could play pool. We could play bowling, video games. I’ll be competitive.

MH: So you’re not as energetic off the court as you are on the court. But are you as emotional off the court as you are on the court?

MB: I don’t think so. In certain aspects, certain things drive me more than other things. Personality-wise I guess I’m more of laid-back. I like to think things out, think it through. Out on the floor, it’s different because the emotions are running and the competitive spirit just gets to into you.

MH: Aside from basketball, what are the other things that can drive you to be emotional?

MB: What do you mean by emotional? Are these good emotions or bad emotions?

MH: Meaning you feel so strongly about it that you become emotional outside of basketball.

MB: Family. Friends. Besides basketball I like to cook, play golf, play tennis so there are a lot of different, I wouldn’t call them emotions, but I would call them different energies that I like and different things that I don’t like. There are things that can get me going or not get me going.

MH: Now I have this crazy image of you playing golf and you’re going nuts because you miss a short putt and then you throw your putter. Does that happen?

MB: What you see on the floor is totally different from what you see off the floor. Yeah I’ll get mad if I miss the putt or if I shank it into the woods but I’m not going to be as emotional as I would be on the floor.

MH: I’m curious. When you were a kid, were you energetic? Would you run all over the house? When you were playing basketball growing up, were you energetic already?

MB: I was very active, I think. I wasn’t hyperactive like always running around. But I was always doing something, playing basketball or playing soccer outside with my friends when I was younger. There was always something happening. I wasn’t the type who would play video games a lot or sit at home. I guess I get bored very easily so I was always moving, always trying to do something that gets me interested.

MH: San Mig Coffee fans, they love you. They absolutely love you. So you’ve seen the artwork and the fan art they’ve done for you. Have you shown any of these to family and friends back in the United States?

MB: Yeah for sure. I try to tell them about the Philippines, about my experiences here with the fans, the players and the whole atmosphere of playing here. A lot of them don’t believe me. They don’t understand what it is, I guess. One of my good friends, Steven Thomas, he came over here two years ago and he was amazed. He was like, “Man this is exactly what you told me.” It’s a good mix – being (in the Philippines) and then going back home where nobody knows who you are. It’s a great vacation and then you go back here where the fans are behind you and it’s great to have the atmosphere of basketball. The whole atmosphere of the PBA is great. As soon as you go back to playing basketball, instinctively all the emotions come back and that’s where all this passion comes from.

MH: When your friends back in the states Google your name and ask ‘why do they call you Black Sakuragi?’ how do you explain that?

MB: I try to explain it in American terms I guess. It’s like a Space Jam cartoon but I don’t know exactly how to explain it to them. It took me a while for myself to understand but it helped that my teammates explained to me what it was. A lot of my friends still don’t know.

MH: Sometimes your energy can get you in trouble because you’re a very active player and it’s a normal thing in basketball for active players. Every now and then, Coach Tim (Cone) would have concerns with you getting carried away. Because the two of you have worked together so many times already, have you learned to work around that?

 MB: Yeah for sure. My first year out here, it took a lot of adjusting to the style of play, understanding the team and what my role was. I definitely think now I know my role better, I understand it better. At the same time, if you didn’t play with emotion, if you didn’t play with passion, there would be something wrong and I probably wouldn’t be here. Not only do the players play with a lot of emotion but the fans come to cheer here with a lot of emotion. Everything about the PBA has a lot of emotion to it.

MH: Among all the aspects of your game, which aspect are you proudest of?

MB: Defense. That comes in so many levels. It’s not necessarily stealing it, or blocking the shot, but it’s collectively getting everybody on the same page, being able to get a stop as a team. It’s not necessarily me getting a steal or me blocking a shot. It’s all five of us being able to stop the other team.