Happy Birthday, Emmanuel “Emman” Monfort ( July 2 )

Happy Birthday, Emmanuel “Emman” Monfort 

Source : Assorted Magazines (PBA Archives Collections)

2012 PBA Rookie Draft 16th overall pick 
3x UAAP champion 
2011 SEAG gold medalist

Emman, as he is most fondly called, plays for Barako Bull under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman and has become one of the main reasons why the Energy Colas are stringing up wins one after the other. The 16th overall pick during the 2012 PBA Draft, who hails from Iloilo City, started playing organized basketball when he was seven years old. His entire family practically played the game his mother (Nemia) and father (Sam) played varsity basketball while his brother also suited up for St. Francis and Welcoat. This inevitably led to his love for the sport. However, he said that his skills and talent were most likely inherited from his mother who was a superstar during her playing days. Emman played for Ateneo de Iloilo in high school but it was while playing in the Palarong Pambansa where he received a call from then Ateneo coach Norman Black and manager Paolo Trillo who invited him to try his luck in Manila. "Ateneo lang ang kumuha sa akin for college, so I was very fortunate," said Emman. "Yun din kasi ang dream school ko. Matulungan ko lang sana ang parents ko na I will get a scholarship because of basketball. Naging bonus na din sa akin na kinuha ako ni coach Norman." The young Ateneo hopeful had to travel to Bacolod to see the Katipunan dribblers play. Among the first players he saw included Jai Reyes, JC Intal and Doug Kramer. Fortunately, he made the grade and was made part of the squad in 2006. Unfortunately, Emman was curiously relegated to the practice team after playing his first two years in the UAAP a setback which seemed like a wakeup call of sorts.