Dar Tucker may be on the opposing side, but he definitely felt the love of the Filipinos when he powered Jordan to a 91-90 victory over Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers late Monday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The 34-year-old naturalized player said he is open to the possibility of playing in the Philippine Basketball Association after enjoying the electric atmosphere and liveliness of the local crowd that was present at the 55,000-seater venue.
“I love it. Ever since we got here, the people of the Philippines, they’re showing so much love,” Tucker, who finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Jordanians, said.
“I love to please the fans because you never know who’s out there, somebody who has never seen me before. I want to make a great impression and whenever I leave, they will remember me.”
Tucker was one of the main threats in last year’s FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia, averaging 20.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for Jordan, which made it as far as the semifinal before bowing down to Wael Arakji and Lebanon, 85-86.
He is also a consistent performer during the World Cup qualifiers with an average of 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists to help Jordan book a ticket to the biggest stage of basketball in the world.
The 6-foot-4 Tucker said he would love to play in the PBA someday.
“Anybody, coach, or any team that wants to pick me up? This is a great atmosphere,” Tucker said
“I would love to play here.”
