In the Shadows of

BY: CARL DOMINIC G. MACATANGAY

In a court where everyone wants to be outstanding, the University of Batangas becomes their standard.

It takes dedication, commitment, and talent to always stay ahead. And these make the University of Batangas undeniably the best – even in the field of sports.

The University is blessed to have a Sports Development Office (SDO) that lives up to its title. Established in around 2004 upon the initiative of Mr. Catalino Samonte, the Sports Office grew separate from the Physical Education Department but paved the way for a more flourishing and promising future for the fiery spirit of Brahmans.

Athletic Association last 2020.

in sports – ranging from basketball, volleyball, tennis, and badminton to chess, E-sports, and football, among many others.

With approximately 150 athletes testing the waters of sports, the office also guarantees their dormitories, food supply, and extended necessities. Furthermore, with more than a hundred athletes deployed to their game courts, the Sports Office has

With the SDO’s lead, the athletes do not just play their games to participate. They enter the courts to conquer. Speaking of its most glorious achievements and remarkable feats as an office, it proudly presents its back-to-back championships and basketball championship in the 16th and 17th seasons of the National Collegiate Athletic Association South (NCAA-S) and its triumphant basketball victory across the country in

Gearing from the impacts of the pandemic, the office learned, more than ever, the essence of never stopping in its quest. In line with this, the school just never stops being better than its best – now that it highlights its newly renovated wooden Carmelo Q. Quizon Gymnasium and the Millennium Campus Gymnasium. “Wish come true,” as the office remarked, as it holds history not only for hosting NCAA-S for the first time but also for its newest gymnasium that has two basketball courts which is convertible to a volleyball a total area of 6,459 sqm, and a parking area that can accommodate over a hundred parked vehicles.

Having its mission and vision rooted in being the center of sports excellence, the UB Sports Office promotes programs and development teeming with diversity in the field of sports. More than shaping its athletes in all aspects, from individual to team-playing skills, physical strengthening, mental toughness, and academic excellence, the Office offers hundred-percent and partial scholarship grants, miscellaneous assistance, and cash allowances for deserving athletes who leave everything out on the floor just to dominate their games as Kings of the Court.

These, among many others, make something undeniably the best. All in all, the University of Batangas is a testament to its impeccable self, its Sports Development Office, and the Brahmans. After all, the ball is in their hands, and the court is theirs to conquer.

‘Tis the hike for victory, for after two years of sports hiatus, the march is finally back on. No brain nor brawn can block the way of the SDO — more than ready to answer

BY: KURT BICOL

LeBron James has rewritten history once again and is now the National Basketball Association (NBA) scoring king, another shimmering stone to add to his crown of achievements. James attained one of the most illustrious feats in all of basketball through his consistent All-NBA performances paired with godly longevity.

New era begins

His shot for history came with less than a minute left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He dethrones his fellow Laker legend, Kareem AbdulJabbar, with a 21-foot fadeaway jumper in the Los Angeles Lakers’ home stadium, Crypto.com Arena on February 8, 2023.

To make way for history, the league instantly paused the game after LeBron hit the biggest shot of his already storied career. Rightfully so, the former record holder along with NBA commissioner, Adam Silver were in attendance for The King’s well-deserved and awaited coronation. After the earthshattering game, the kid from Akron, Ohio earned the right to put himself in the highest of podiums. “I am going to take myself against anybody that has ever played this game, I always feel like I’m the best to ever play this game,” the record-breaker confidently expressed.

Rising to the throne

Drafted at the young age of 18, straight out of high school, the fans knew they were witnessing either the rise of an empire or a sandcastle waiting to crumble from the waves of pressure. With the hype he received on his way to the league, anything short of a hall of fame or legendary career would make him a bust. But early on, it was quickly evident which path The King was taking.

Now playing in his 20th season, which is a status already unreachable for most athletes in any sport. King James shattered Abdul-Jabbar’s record in 150 less games and nearly 4,000 less minutes. He now has 38,390 career points and counting, venturing into unimaginable and previously uncharted territories.

Prior to James’ historic night, the record remained untouched for almost four decades. AbdulJabbar claimed the title in 1984, months before James was even born. He then continued to build on it until his