Kobe Demisana leads Pinoy quartet in Jr. NBA Global Championship

Looking to impress in the international stage

The Philippines can produce quality talent. And for the inaugural Asia-Pacfiic team in the Jr. NBA Global Championship, the island nation is front-and-center with its four Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars making the cut at the Selection Camp recently in Jakarta.

One of the four who made it is 14-year old Henjz Gabriel Demisana. The Bacolod native and Alaska Ambassador impressed the coaches in Indonesia with his quickness, body strength, and soft touch to the basket. Kobe shares, "I feel very blessed. It’s a dream come true. I am really honored to represent the Philippines and our region to the Global Championship. I will bring all the lessons I learned from the Jr. NBA and Alaska in the global championships, especially the S.T.A.R. (sportsmanship, teamwork, a positive attitude, respect) values."

Demisana's basketball journey began when he first started playing the game six years ago at the tender age of eight. He credits his father for instilling the love of the sport, vowing to always give his all inside the court, knowing his family will always support him.

Kobe managed to participate in the Jr. NBA Philippines program last year, starting out at the Visayas Regional Selection Camp in Bacolod and making it to the National Training Camp. He actually made the Top 20 but just missed out on being a Jr. NBA All-Star.

The 6'5" big man from Tay Tung High School reflects on that experience, says "After my Jr. NBA NTC stint last year, I was really down. But it did not stop me from continuing to work for my dreams. Aside from studying, I dedicated my time developing the skills that I need to improve my game."

Not making that team proved to be a blessing in disguise, with the announcement that the 2019 edition being the first one for which Filipino players can participate in the Jr. NBA Global Championship this coming August 6-11 in Orlando.

Kobe went through the 2019 Jr. NBA Philippines program presented by Alaska, replicating his exact feat from the Regional Selection Camp to make the National Training Camp. This time around, his perseverance and hard work paid off, as he made it not only as a Jr. NBA All-Star, but also as an Alaska Ambassador.

Demisana shares, "I prepared myself physically and mentally. Last year, I was really scared to commit mistakes. But with what I learned from my previous Jr. NBA experience, I became more confident whenever I step inside the court. I do all the right things. I sleep early, eat the right kind and amount of food, do proper hydration, and always make sure I’m thinking positive. Nutrition and good health habits are just as important in basketball as training hard and polishing your skills."

Aside from Demisana, Matthew Rubico, Sebastian Reyes, and Camille Nolasco made the cut to comprise the Pinoy contingent in the Jr. NBA Asia-Pacific team, which also has representation from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.