PHI - Gentle giant Taulava on home run with Nationals

MANILA (22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Asi Taulava, one of the few PBA players who has been a regular on the Filipino National Team roster, has announced he will retire from international basketball at the end of the year.

Taulava, a member of the Philippines National Team since the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, will however continue to ply his trade in the PBA with the Meralco Bolts.

“I’m feeling my age and this is definitely my last national yeam,” the 38-year-old said on Thursday.

“I’m banged up. Where do you see a 38-year-old still being considered for the National Team? I have to take care of my body now.”

The 2.06m big man was a selection by coach Rajko Toroman to shore up the Smart Gilas Pilipinas in the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup as they prepare for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan.

Although his stats didn’t show much success in international competitions, Taulava was considered a useful presence in the national team by many coaches including Toroman.

During the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup, Toroman recalled to FIBAAsia.net the “trouble” Taulava had caused to eventual two-time champions Iran in the 24th FIBA Asia Championship in Tokushima in 2007.

“Even Hamed (E Haddadi) had it tough against Asi,” Toroman, who was then the coach of the Iranian team, said.

Taulava said his decision boiled down to him choosing whether to play for his PBA team or the national side.

“I can’t imagine myself playing for my mother team (in PBA) and the national team until I’m 40," he added.

"I mean, really, who was the last guy to be playing for the national team while he was 38, 40 years old?” wondered Taualva.

“I almost practice six hours a day. I come in one hour before our two-hour practice with Gilas, and then do the same with Meralco.

“And that’s only in-between conferences. When the conference is on, you also have to contend with at least a two-hour game. I am not sure how long my body can take it,” he said.

FIBA Asia