UNTIL now, people get surprised when they hear Mike Phillips speak in straight Tagalog.
But wait until you hear the La Salle big speak in Nihongo.
However, if you thought Phillips learning Japanese is solely because of a possible future in the Land of the Rising Sun, that’s not exactly true.
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To ‘Motor Mike,’ it all started because he wanted to be a polyglot just like his brother Isaiah
“How it started was really funny,” he recalled. “I was at home and I saw him talking on the phone speaking in fluent Japanese and I was surprised he was able to do that.”
Since that shocking discovery, the younger Phillips has turned to his trusted Duolingo app to educate himself of this new language, and not long after, Nihongo was known to him.
“During the pandemic, it was something that we got used to bond over with, and me and Isaiah, we’ll always tease kuya Ben in Japanese and he wouldn’t even know it,” he said, laughing sheepishly.
When La Salle went to Japan for the World University Basketball Series, Phillips was able to put it all to the test when local reporters interviewed him – and impressively, he conversed with them in their native tongue.
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Japan or Philippines sounds good
Of course, it helps now, as the 6-foot-8 banger is set to play his final season with the Green Archers this upcoming UAAP Season 88 amid growing interest coming from Japan B.League clubs for the next chapter of his basketball career.
Yet Phillips is putting it far from his mind and letting older brother Ben deal with all of the offers, as he focuses on the task at hand in Taft.
“Right now, I’m just looking at all my options,” he said.
“Of course, there’s interest from Japan, but to be honest, I kind of shove it to kuya Ben as he’s the one dealing with it and I’m happy to have someone like that. But really, it’s God-willing.”
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Phillips also made it clear that he’s not ruling out playing his pro career in local shores. as he has this lifelong goal of having his family settle down in the country for good.
“Hopefully, I’ll be the one to retire my parents here in the Philippines. If I can make it happen, I want to make it happen because I want us to be closer,” he shared.
“Ever since high school, I’ve been chasing my dream and they’ve been supporting me. So if it’s God’s will for me to stay in the Philippines, I’m open to that.”
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