Japeth Aguilar is taking advantage of any rest he can get after spending the month of August like a nomad because of playing duties with club and country.
Aguilar represented Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon while suiting for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a pair of out-of-town games in between, making him a regular fixture at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“Pag may opportunity talaga, nagpapahinga ako, as in trying to get as much as sleep as I can,” Aguilar told the Bulletin after Ginebra’s 105-92 win over Phoenix Wednesday in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Kahit hapon natutulog talaga ako, hindi na pwedeng mag-asikaso ng iba, mag-errands or kumain sa labas or watch a movie, as in anu lang talaga bahay lang. Actually, may konting jetlag pa ako,” he added.
Aug. 5 marked the start of Aguilar’s test of endurance when he helped Ginebra beat NLEX in a PBA Governors’ Cup out-of-town game in Calasiao, Pangasinan. Immediately after that 110-97 win, Aguilar immediately left for a four-hour trip for Ninoy Aquino International Airport to join Gilas’ flight for Beirut.
Aguilar and the rest of Gilas did take a three-hour layover in Abu Dhabi before arriving in the Lebanese capital for the two-week competition that saw Gilas placing seventh.
After returning to Manila early last week, Aguilar rejoined Ginebra and went to Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu where they beat the Alaska Aces, 94-80, in Saturday’s out-of-town game.
The dunk-savvy forward logged almost 20,000 miles – perhaps making him earn more points on his frequent-flyer card.
While he has experienced almost similar trips in his US NCAA days with Western Kentucky and a former short period with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA D-League, Aguilar said this latest journey felt different.
“I was much younger back then, pero ngayon 30 na so yung body ko hindi na rin ganun kabilis makarecover,” said Aguilar, who played for Western Kentucky from 2007 to 2009 and for the Warriors in 2012.
Now that his luggage is back in the cabinet, Aguilar is centering his focus on trying to keep Ginebra’s title reign in the Governors’ Cup intact. September figures to be a tough month for the Gin Kings, but Aguilar has made himself ready for the task at hand.
