By Rey Joble

IN HIS checkered basketball career spanning nearly a decade representing Korea in major Asian basketball tournaments, Shin Dong Pa became a legend and earned the admiration of his Filipino counterparts and basketball enthusiasts in the region.

Shin was an instant star, representing Korea from 1962 and ending his stint as a national player in 1973, at a time when the Koreans lost to the Filipinos bannered by Bogs Adornado, Robert Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz, Mon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben, Manny Paner and the late Tembong Melencio, to name a few.

But there are many things he remembers most as far as Philippine basketball is concerned. The deadshot forward considers the late Ed Ocampo as the best player who ever guarded him.

Ocampo, who won four championships while coaching Royal True Orange and Toyota to championships in the Philippine Basketball Association, is regarded by the Korean shooter as the best player he went up against with.

“He is a great defender,” said Shin through his interpreter Leo Jeong. “He can stop the best scorers in Asian Basketball before, including Masatomo Taniguchi, Japan’s top scorer.”

Shin has also high regards on players like Adornado, Jaworski, Melencio and Danny Florencio.

“Bogs is an outstanding shooter and smart player. Jaworski and Melencio are fierce competitors. I was shocked when I learned that Jaworski was still playing at the age of 50. That’s unbelieveable. Florencio is an exciting player to watch,” said Shin.

Long before the Skywalker Samboy Lim graced the PBA, Florencio was probably the most exciting player to watch in the pro league. He was a member of the multi-tilted Crispa in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association then became part of Toyota’s nucleus in its championship teams from 1978 to 1982.

But if there’s one big regret he had, it was his decision to pass up the opportunity of playing in the Philippines in the early 1970s and declined the offer to team up with Jaworski, who would soon turn out to become bigger than the game itself.

“It was in 1970 when Basketball Association of the Philippines president Lito Puyat asked me to put up a team here along with Jaworski,” recounted Shin. “But I regretted the fact that I turned down the offer.”

Now turning 65, it’s never too late for Shin to meet some of his old nemesis-turned-friends as he will have a reunion of sorts with the likes of Jaworski, Adornado and Freddie Webb starting today in the launching of Uptown21 Condo Fiesta in Culiat, Quezon City.

The management of Uptown21 believes that Shin can deliver the right message to their target market.

“Choose the castle life in Uptown 21. Welcome to my neighborhood,” Shin said.

Shin has bought one unit here, courtesy of his longtime friend Lee Eal Mo, who is Uptown21’s president. The Korean great will make the Philippines his second home and had it not been for his commitment in Korea as the vice president of the Korean Basketball Association, the cage great would most likely stay here for good.

Not only that. If given a chance to live a second life, he wants to become a Filipino basketball player.