Laure gives Aces needed depth

Alaska Aces website
September 30, 2007



The biggest strength of Alaska is its uncanny depth when even role players like Eddie Laure come off the bench to give the team quality minutes when the first stringers are not on the floor.

This is because even the bench players of the Aces are legitimate basketball stars in their own right.

Alaska bench players like former Metropolitan Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Laure have not only accepted their supporting roles with the Aces but have actually flourished even with limited minutes on the playing floor.

I have to step up when nasa foul trouble ang mga starters ng Alaska like Reynel Hugnatan or Tony Dela Cruz. Or when ipinasok ako sa second quarter when coach wants the team to clamp down on defense. Pumapasok ako para makatulong. Kung maka-score ng points, bonus na lang iyon para sa akin, said Laure.

Born July 6, 1977 Laure was only 20 years old when he started playing for the Batangas Blades in the MBA in 1998. He eventually won the MVP award four years later and the Blades won the national championship after they were joined by the remnants of the Manila MetroStars which included Rommel Adducul.

After the MBA folded Laure joined Shell but never quite fit in after a series of nagging injuries, probably caused by over-practice, limited his effectiveness. He transferred to Purefoods and was thought to be the heir apparent to ageing Rey Evangelista. That didn�t quite work out as injuries continued to plague him.

Laure hooked up with Alaska where the Aces� topnotch training staff headed by Gus Vargas devised an optimum training regimen which helped him develop to his full potential physically but not to the point of overtraining and getting hurt.

With injuries now a thing of the past Laure is slowly regaining his MVP form during his MBA days. He is a vital cog in the Alaska rotation giving them a lockdown defender in multiple positions who has the touch to score consistently from the outside and the size to score inside when needed.

After winning the Fiesta Conference the Aces are gunning for back-to-back PBA titles. They now practice twice a day during week days at the Sports Kamp at the Fort.

At 30 years of age, Laure is one of the senior players of Alaska. But he is at his peak physically and hopes to play a few more years for the Aces.

Sa awa ng Panginoon pwede pa sigurong another two to four years. Lahat ng PBA players pangarap mag-champion. Hindi lahat nakaka experience na mag-champion. As a player pinakamasarap itong feeling. Wala itong kapantay at nagpapasalamat ako na-experience ko ito with the Alaska Aces. At ang gusto namin sa team ay maulit pa ito this coming conference. Sana makatulong akong mabigyan ng ilang pang mga championship ang Alaska, said Laure.