Happy Birthday, Aldrin Barola ( July 20 )

Happy Birthday, Aldrin Barola

Source : Assorted Magazines (PBA Archives Collections)

University of Cebu Webmasters guard
PBL's Mama's Love and Casino Rubbing Alcohol scorer
MBA's Davao Eagles hotshot

ALDRIN BAROLA, TOP TRIGGERman of Casino Rubbing Alcohol, is not exactly 50 percent of the team effort. But his contribution to the team is so immense, he played a major role in Casino's dash from the backdoor and right into the semifinals in the recently concluded imports-flavoured first conference. In offense, Barola most of the time would conspire with American Claude Moore the main reason Casino was knocking right on the door of the finals until those fateful last few seconds in their knockout match against Red Bull when all their finals hopes perished into thin air. It was evident, there was a breakdown in defense and the blame largely hinged on the Casino men assigned to guard Red Bull's Gil Lumberio and Aldrin Morante the two men who delivered the fatal blows to Casino's championship bid. "I felt the whole world caved in on me. I thought we would be there in the championship," said Barola when asked how it felt losing the opportunity to play in the finals in the first conference. Barola, however, said the first conference fiasco was a closed book. But he explained the tragic experience should be a lesson learned: That out of it, the team should move on with greater resolve to achieve its championship aspirations. "I kind of told myself we should pull ourselves together and get on into another championship mold. We should not lose the team spirit and the killer instinct after one tragic experience," emphasized Barola, 22, who is polishing his skills in preparation for his entry into the PBA next season.