Growing up in basketball arenas, watching his dad Marcio playing and winning championships for San Miguel Beer, Montae Lassiter is now beginning to take center stage and proving to everyone that the game runs in their veins.
Lassiter will start playing for Passion Sports, a team being coached by former Barangay Ginebra guard Rob Labagala, in the under-14 division of the United Basketball League.
He will be one of the few second-generation players seeing action in the tournament put up by former Philippine Basketball Association player and two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Allan Salangsang.
Just recently, Ram Sharma, son of another former PBA player, Carlo Sharma, also helped his team, Mighty Warriors win in the under-18 division of the tournament, beating MBC, 74-52, at the Systems Plus Computer College gym in Caloocan.
Playing only 13 minutes, Sharma produced eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, while grabbing three rebounds and completing a block.
But Mighty Warriors banked on Shaun Haw, who led the way with 18 markers, followed by Luigi Almanza with 12 points and nine assists and Kris Lagat’s 11 markers.
In other results, host school SPCC nipped PCAF, 56-54, in the under-19 division, Blue Panthers walloped Pheno Ballers, 72-38, in the under-17 division, Manila Braves outlasted MBC, 50-42, in the under-13 category, MBC struck back with a 57-47 win over Kinetic in 16-under class, Manila Braves’ 14-under team dumped MBC, 62-53, and Legends’ 15-under defeated Manila Braves, 67-56.
Action in the UBL’s fifth season resumes this weekend at the SPCC gym.
