PHI - 'Toughness' gives Lee a chance to make team

MANILA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Paul Lee looks back with regret at last year, when he had to pass up the opportunity to join the Philippines in their preparations for the FIBA Asia Championship.

The tournament was in Manila and Lee, a 1.85m combo guard, had a chance to fight for a spot in the team.

"I was invited last year," he said, "but learned about it too late as I had already booked a flight to the US to visit my grandparents.

"I had wanted to join last year."

National team coach Chot Reyes, who led the team to a runners-up finish to Iran, didn’t hold any grudges.

He recently included Lee, who plays for Philippines team Rain Or Shine, in the preliminary squad for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"Now the doors opened for me again and this time, I’m not letting this chance slip away," Lee said.

Competition for a place on the 12-man roster will be fierce, but Lee has told the media in the Philippines he firmly believes that he has something to offer.

"I think my toughness will be my most important contribution to the team," he said.

"We have excellent guards in Jayson (William), LA (Tenorio) and Jimmy (Alapag).

"But in the World Cup, the other teams’ guards will be much taller and heftier.

"And so, I think my role can be to defend against these big guards."

William was an All-Tournament team selection at last year’s FIBA Asia Championship.

If Lee does make the squad, he will go up against the powerful backcourts of Argentina, Greece, Croatia, Puerto Rico and Senegal in Group B.

Those games will be played in Seville.

"It’s a really tough group but I think that for as long a we play as a team, anything’s possible," he said.

FIBA