Allein Maliksi walked into an Ortigas coffee shop without a limp. The reports about his health had been bleak. The MRI suggested that it was a torn ACL and a sprained MCL, a combination that would take Allein six to eight months before he could be ready for basketball again. The clouds were starting to darken when he arrived. Last Sunday, dark clouds also hung over him and his basketball career when he fell down clutching his knee in pain.
It was a Tuesday afternoon when we met, the same day his San Mig Coffee Mixers battled the Meralco Bolts in game two of their best of five semifinals series. But instead of preparing for their big game, Allein found himself here, talking about what happened and dreaming of what could have been.
In their do-or-die game against the Alaska Aces, Allein drove to his left for a shot. He planted his left knee like he has done throughout his career, a move usually followed by a shot fake and a fadeaway jumper. This time it was different. His left knee gave out as he crumpled to the floor.
“Yung una kong naramdaman yung grabeng pain pero, tinitiis kong hindi sumigaw. Nung replay na nung nangyari dun na ako napasigaw sa sakit,” Allein said. “No!” was all what he mustered to shout as the pain crept from his knee. “Naranasan ko na kasi yung ma-injure sa tuhod. Alam kong mahirap tapos kailangan ko nanamang ulitin lahat.”
Back in 2008, after serving a year of residency following his transfer from the University of Manila, Allein was ready to suit up for the University of Santo Tomas Tigers for the UAAP. Early that season, there were already murmurs in the UAAP community that a deadly scorer was about to make the Tiger offense more dominant.
On a February morning that year, Allein practiced from 5:30 to 8:00am with Team A, but since his coaches thought he could use more seasoning, they required him to play for their Team B for the Home and Away Invitational League barely an hour after practice.
“Kalaban namin yung NU, bantay ko si Jonathan Jahnke,” Allein said, recalling the story like it happened yesterday. “Pagod na kasi ako nung game tapos di pa ako kumakain. Tumalon ako para kumuha ng rebound tapos nag-land ako sa right leg ko lang.” He then demonstrated what happened to his knee using his arms. He line up his fists and quickly moved the one forward while moving the other backward. It was the same motion he used to tell his trainers what happened to him last Sunday. “Umiyak ako nun sa bench. Wala kasi akong alam sa ACL. Akala ko tapos na yung career ko. Iniisip ko na lang ‘Paano na yung pangarap ko? Paano na yung pamilya ko?’”
Allein went through the tour of rehabilitation for torn ACLs. Five months after his injury, he was deemed by doctors as fit for basketball again but they were wrong. He re-injured his ACL in practice, but this time he stayed patient, spending eight months out of action to let it heal completely.
It was a Tuesday afternoon when we met, the same day his San Mig Coffee Mixers battled the Meralco Bolts in game two of their best of five semifinals series. But instead of preparing for their big game, Allein found himself here, talking about what happened and dreaming of what could have been.
In their do-or-die game against the Alaska Aces, Allein drove to his left for a shot. He planted his left knee like he has done throughout his career, a move usually followed by a shot fake and a fadeaway jumper. This time it was different. His left knee gave out as he crumpled to the floor.
“Yung una kong naramdaman yung grabeng pain pero, tinitiis kong hindi sumigaw. Nung replay na nung nangyari dun na ako napasigaw sa sakit,” Allein said. “No!” was all what he mustered to shout as the pain crept from his knee. “Naranasan ko na kasi yung ma-injure sa tuhod. Alam kong mahirap tapos kailangan ko nanamang ulitin lahat.”
Back in 2008, after serving a year of residency following his transfer from the University of Manila, Allein was ready to suit up for the University of Santo Tomas Tigers for the UAAP. Early that season, there were already murmurs in the UAAP community that a deadly scorer was about to make the Tiger offense more dominant.
On a February morning that year, Allein practiced from 5:30 to 8:00am with Team A, but since his coaches thought he could use more seasoning, they required him to play for their Team B for the Home and Away Invitational League barely an hour after practice.
“Kalaban namin yung NU, bantay ko si Jonathan Jahnke,” Allein said, recalling the story like it happened yesterday. “Pagod na kasi ako nung game tapos di pa ako kumakain. Tumalon ako para kumuha ng rebound tapos nag-land ako sa right leg ko lang.” He then demonstrated what happened to his knee using his arms. He line up his fists and quickly moved the one forward while moving the other backward. It was the same motion he used to tell his trainers what happened to him last Sunday. “Umiyak ako nun sa bench. Wala kasi akong alam sa ACL. Akala ko tapos na yung career ko. Iniisip ko na lang ‘Paano na yung pangarap ko? Paano na yung pamilya ko?’”
Allein went through the tour of rehabilitation for torn ACLs. Five months after his injury, he was deemed by doctors as fit for basketball again but they were wrong. He re-injured his ACL in practice, but this time he stayed patient, spending eight months out of action to let it heal completely.
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