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Slam dunk hero Justin Melton is enjoying every moment

It’s funny how soft-spoken Justin Melton is. Not funny in a hilarious sense. Like his voice won’t make you laugh. His voice is almost serene. Like it's not coming from one of the best high flyers in the league. It also makes you compare his highlight-inducing style of play on the court and low-key personality off the court. While the San Mig Coffee spitfire, who left the Philippines when he was two years old, can make eyeballs pop with gravity-insulting dunks, it’s Justin's ultimate purpose for going back to the Philippines, for playing the game that truly earns a perfect ten.

MH: How excited were you to be a prominent part of your first ever PBA All-Star Weekend?

JM: The whole weekend was exciting from the dunk contest to getting to watch all of my friends play. I enjoyed it and was honored to be a part of it.

MH: Were you nervous before and during the Slam Dunk Contest?

JM: Not at all. It’s a fun event. You just have fun with it and it’s for the crowd, it’s for the fans so that was the main purpose and having fun was the best approach.

MH: Speaking of approach, what is your approach when it comes to slam dunks? Do you have dunks already composed in your head or is it more spontaneous? Do you think about your dunks just seconds before you actually do them?

JM: I had somewhat of a plan. Like all those dunks that I attempted, I’ve completed before. So there was nothing outside of what I have already done.

MH: What about having to share the award with Rey Guevara – were you cool with that?

JM: Yeah. Rey is a good friend of mine. As far as his dunks go, he did a great job.

MH: Let’s switch to your current stint with San Mig Coffee. Your championship in the Philippine Cup, was that your first championship as a player, ever?

JM: No. I actually won a championship in Brazil when I played there also but not nearly as exciting as this one with San Mig Coffee.

MH: What made the Philippine Cup championship more exciting than the one in Brazil?

JM: One, I’m part-Filipino so that in itself makes the championship mean a little more. In Brazil, basketball is not as popular out there. The feedback from the people is just not the same as it is in the Philippines.

MH: When you started playing for Tim Cone, were you already aware of Tim Cone’s achievements as a basketball coach?

JM: I wasn’t. I didn’t know much about Tim Cone before I came to San Mig. But as the days progressed I learned real fast that the guy is a genius and an awesome coach overall.

MH: You said at first you weren’t aware of Coach Tim’s reputation. When you started to learn more about Coach Tim, were you suddenly intimidated by his resume?

JM: A little bit. I mean it puts a little pressure on you. It just goes to show that he knows how to win and it makes you, as a player, feel more comfortable listening and following his lead.

MH: What about the popularity of your team? Were you immediately aware of the popularity of your PBA team?

JM: Honestly, I knew that Ginebra had a lot of fans but I didn’t know if any other team had, you know, a huge fan base like that.

MH: Now that you’ve won a championship and now that you’ve seen how your fans come out to support the team, are you blown away by the idea that you’re actually playing for one of the PBA’s more popular teams?

JM: I am! I was telling my mom the other day that it finally hit me. From the draft to today I realized that I’m playing professional basketball for a pretty popular team in my home country. I’m enjoying every moment.

MH: What are the perks that you’ve enjoyed so far by playing for a popular team, by playing for Tim Cone, by winning your first championship?

JM: Honestly, little perks like not having to wait in line sometimes (laughs).

MH: When do you enjoy that perk?

JM: There’s a grocery store near where I live. Whenever I go in there and get my groceries, they let me pass through the other people who need to pay for their fruits and stuff.

MH: That’s like VIP treatment.

JM: Yeah.

MH: Did you ever experience that while growing up in Virginia?

JM: Nothing to that extent. No.

MH: So when you talk to your friends back home and you tell them about all these stories, what do they say?

JM: They’re proud. There was a group of us who grew up together and we always played outdoors and so for them to kind of see one of us quote unquote make it in a sense, it’s like a dream come true. And they’re very supportive.

MH: Have they seen your games?

JM: They have. They wake up early and watch the games online through livestream.

MH: Do they get intense when they watch the games?

JM: They do. They do. They even criticize the way I play in some games. The main thing they always tell me is to be aggressive, be aggressive. I’m trying to add that part in my game. But when you’re trying to learn the triangle offense, it takes time. So you learn the offense and you kind of have a good feel for it, then you can start playing off your teammates and being a little more aggressive and looking for more shots.

MH: In your first tournament as a PBA player, you surprised people. Maybe you didn’t surprise the people who followed your career in the ABL, but those who saw you for the first time in the PBA, they were surprised. Were you surprised with how you performed all throughout the Philippine Cup?

JM: In certain games, yes. Because I didn’t have a lot of time on the court because there a lot of talented players on our team but being able to produce a little bit and being able to contribute in each game, that’s enough for me.

MH: Do you have family in Manila?

JM: My relatives stay in Angeles, Pampanga.

MH: So you don’t have immediate family in the city. You’re on your own and you’re working hard. Your immediate family is all the way in Virginia. Your closest friends are all the way in the US. What drives you to do this kind of sacrifice for the sake of your career?

JM: It’s about people, to sum it up in one word. People. Basketball for me, it’s not my ultimate goal. I want to build houses. I want to build courts, gyms, churches. It’s kind of far off to say this now but those are my ultimate goals. And that’s why I play. It’s a tool to where I can reach out to people, to help people, to hopefully inspire people.