MANILA, Philippines – La Salle’s Mike Phillips may have looked all good — sensational, even, after another huge double-double in their latest win — but the Green Archers’ energy guy feel far from it.
Phillips admitted he’s still grieving the sudden death of Doleo Susalta, the security guard at the dormitory of DLSU athletes whom he sees as a friend.
“He was someone who really meant a lot to me. He taught me Ilonggo. If you’re listening to this, my friend, I love you… and I will take care of your family,” said Phillips, who turned emotional after La Salle’s dominant 88-67 win over UST in the UAAP men’s basketball on Sunday, September 29.
Phillips shared he was in a “dark place” just two days ago as the death hit him hard, but he feels glad to have found solace on court.
“Motor Mike” led the defending champions by carving up the interior, hauling down 18 rebounds, half on offense, and scoring a team-best 12 points in the win that kept the Green Archers at solo second with a 5-1 record.
“[Last Friday], I was just in a dark place and I saw the most beautiful sunset after training. I knew it was him. So if you guys have any spare time, please pray for his family. I was playing for him tonight,” Phillips said.
As the La Salle stalwart tries to deal with what he calls a “spiritual warfare,” he remains thankful as he draws inspiration not only from his friends, family, teammates, and coaches, but the Almighty as well.
“So, more than the game, God put me here, and I really feel that peace when I’m here. If you guys are in that dark place, just call to God like I did, and He’ll work through your teammates, your schoolmates, your family, and to coach Topex (Robinson) here,” shared Phillips.
“I’m just grateful to God and grateful for the win.”
While attending daily practices proved hard recently, the thousands of Lasallian supporters, he said, uplifted him and reminded him of his duty as a student-athlete.
“They care about more than just basketball. They care about us as students and humans,” Phillips said of La Salle and the school community.
“If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be out here. None of us would be here without our coaches, our managers, and how well La Salle takes care of us,” he added.
“They really see us as humans and treat us like humans. Throughout the ups and downs, they don’t strike us down. When we make mistakes, they’re really there for us outside the lines of the court. They really make that extra effort to always check on us, and that’s just tremendous to me and my teammates.” – Rappler.com