Flashback Amateur Player Feature # 4 - John Copada

I used to see John Copada, lightweight frame and all, with the San Beda Red Cubs in the NCAA, In his first year with the team under coach Ato Badolato, a high school classmate of mine, John looked very unimpressive. Slow and awkward, I thought he was nothing but height, a beanpole easily Ignored. My impression about John changed when I saw him in his sophomore year with the same team, Although he had somewhat retained his awkward stance, 1 thought he had developed a certain kind of poise that is so hard to find among promising centers. He looked so at home In playing the slot. And what was more, I was amazed at the way he was trading wares with then NC junior sensation Terry Saldaña of Letran, who was to become an RP youth member last year. John's maturity in the game came so sudden I thought here was one guy who might yet rewrite history in playing the post, There Is a dearth of honest-to-goodness good centers around, don't you think so? I was surprised not to see John in the junior nor varsity teams of San Beda last year, I thought it was foolish of Ato or Bonnie Carbonell to let go a young player of so much potential. John was a goldmine just waiting to be explored, I said to myself. Then one day, I was talking to Director Domingo Panganiban of BPI and NFAC and the genial Masagana 99 coach mentioned about a tall, young man who had been taken in by the BPI squad, It turned out that the young and tall player was John, Even then, even when Director Panganiban had not concocted the idea of pulling out John of the BPI squad in favor of a stint in the Masagana 99 quintet, I had already toyed on the idea of yes, why not suggest to Director Panganiban the possibility of John playing with Masagana? But even before 1 could bring out the idea to the Director he was already sold on the prospect of having John join Masagana, And so, John's exodus from BPI to Masagana, a leap considered enviable If one is aware o the doings in amateur basketball other than the MICAA. 

Source : Sports Weekly Magazine FEB. 13-20, 1981