Norwood sets eyes on NBA, Euro stint

By Jasmine W. Payo
Inquirer
Last updated 06:49am (Mla time) 10/24/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Everybody wants a piece of amateur basketball’s hottest property.

But Fil-Am Gabe Norwood has his own game plan that he intends to follow. And that involves taking it slow despite the slew of offers coming his way.

“I’m taking it a year at a time,” said Norwood. “My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA. I’m still young.”

But it’s a long-term plan that the 6-foot-5 guard hopes to set in motion right here in the Philippine soil.

“Basically this is the beginning of my career,” he said. “Everybody’s been welcoming, helping me out to have an easy transition.”

His body clock has been adjusting -- as well as his brand of play -- since returning to the country last Wednesday to suit up for Hapee Toothpaste in the Philippine Basketball League.

“I’m still trying to get adapted here,” said Norwood, the eldest of five kids of college football coach Brian Norwood and half-Filipina Tiffiney Viloria-Hardy.

“I’m still adjusting to the time, so I’ve been sleeping a lot.”

But on court, Norwood has been giving his full attention.

“Size-wise it’s different here,” said Norwood, who used to start for US NCAA Final Four squad George Mason University.

“I’m also used to play the point, but I’ll play a lot of positions here. I guess I’ll play whatever my coach will tell me, from 1 to 5. The speed is also different. I’ll be running a bit more.”

His stint with the all-amateur national team in the Southeast Asian Games remains uncertain even after suiting up for the all-pro San Miguel-RP squad in the FIBA-Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan last July.

“Of course I would like to play for the national team,” said Norwood. “But since I got back, no one has contacted me from the RP team. So it’s up to the (Hapee) management.”

Philippine Basketball Association teams also previously sounded off their interest for the 22-year-old cager.

“I think I can play in the PBA,” said Norwood, who has been living alone in a condominium in Manila, and whose relatives are from Bohol province.

Aside from the NBA, Norwood, too, remains hopeful to get a crack at the international scene in the coming years.

“I recently got a soft offer from a team in the European league, but they decided to re-sign their player, so it fell through,” he shared. “I also tried out for the Utah Jazz the past summer. But I’m just taking it a year at a time. Right now I’ll just do my best in the PBL.”