WORDS by YOYO SARMENTA
It’s been a decade since Tyler Tio became a SLAM Rising Star, but he still remembers the joy he felt when he first heard the news that he was one of the best players in high school.
“I remember it such being a big deal when I was picked the first time,” Tyler recalls, an alumnus of SLAM’s annual event back in 2015 and 2016. “It reminded me of the McDonald’s games in the States. I felt like that was such a cool thing to have in high school.”
Tyler still has his SLAM jersey from all those years ago. The dominantly white jersey with red highlights looks small now compared to his PBA frame. He now looks tall and confident, which befits a professional basketball player. But back then, he was 16 years old – skinnier and a tad shorter.
What remained constant since his high school days, though, is Tyler’s confidence. He always knew he had game. He always knew he could compete with the best. All he needed was a chance. So it wasn’t a surprise that his SLAM Rising Star selection was a proud moment for him, especially coming from Xavier School.
“It was huge for me because I wanted to see how I could match up with the bigger school talents,” he says. “I was super excited just to showcase what I could do because we don’t have UAAP, we don’t have NCAA, so if I could prove myself against these guys, it was something that would show the scouts that I was ready for the next level.”
In a way, the selection made him feel seen as a kid trying to carve his path in hoops.
“I think that was the first time that I really was interviewed in that way, in that sort of depth,” he says about the media hype he got as part of the 24 players selected. “So it was cool, especially as a high school student. It was a nice feeling. It was like I was a pro player already.”
But come game time, his SLAM Rising Stars moment didn’t pan out immediately as planned. More household names were fielded when the game got going, while Tyler sat on the bench.
“I was pissed, the whole first half I was like ‘Why am I not getting into the game?’” he says. “So when I got into the game, third quarter, I think I scored four, six straight, na sunud-sunod. And then I ended with eight points in eight minutes, so that was definitely a chip-on-my-shoulder moment.”
“I felt like… parang saling pusa lang, but thankfully I was able to showcase naman what I could do,” he adds.
The next year, Tyler was selected again as a Rising Star. From there, he went on to have a successful college career and is now a PBA mainstay. He’s now a pro, but he hasn’t forgotten his journey of being recognized as an up-and-comer.
That’s why Tyler wants the next batch of players from the SLAM Rising Stars to have fun. He wants them to enjoy the exhibition game as much as he did back then. He wants them to feel proud of being chosen as the top prospects of the country. At the same time, however, he also wants to see that edge.
“I mean, it’s nice to enjoy the game, but also it’s fun to compete against all these players that you want to show that you’re better than them,” he says. “If you don’t have a college yet that you’ve committed to, then this is a great chance to show scouts what you can do. And if you’re already committed, then just [show] competitiveness, just to show yourself where you are and how good you are compared to your peers.”
Spoken like a true professional, he knows that there is a delicate balance of gratefulness for being chosen, while also knowing your worth and showcasing your talent.
Though it’s been a decade since Tyler Tio became a SLAM Rising Star, he still hasn’t lost his edge.
