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| Meralco Bolts' CJ Cansino at the watch party of new Pilipinas Live original series "Rebound" (Image Source: OneSports.PH/Luisa Morales) |
Meralco Bolts rookie CJ Cansino is the main protagonist in a new limited series available exclusively on Pilipinas Live called “Rebound", a six-episode show exploring his personal journey in basketball. Featuring pivotal people in Cansino’s life both on and off the basketball court, the show gives a glimpse into the life and experience of the former UAAP Rookie of the Year with UST and, later, UAAP champion with the UP Fighting Maroons. The title “Rebound” is inspired from Cansino’s rise from the ashes after injury and an ode to the first basketball skill he was able to acquire as a young dreamer.
Rebound’s premiere episode centered on Cansino’s journey back from an ACL injury to help UP take the UAAP men’s basketball title for the first time in 36 years back in 2022 – winning the pandemic shortened UAAP Season 84 tournament. Cansino himself viewed the first episode along with friends, family and the series' showrunners during the Rebound Watch Party last September 15, 2024 at the Cignal Launchpad in Mandaluyong City and after seeing it with other people for the first time, the 24-year-old felt almost meek at being the center of attention. Cansino remarked, “Well unang-una sa lahat, sabi ko nga kanina nakakahiya eh kasi alam mo yun, pinapanood mo yung sarili mo kasama ng ibang tao and hindi naman ako sanay duon as a basketball player. Pero at the same time, alam mo yung ang ganda ng kinalabasan nung series. Sana makapag-inspire siya ng ibang tao, sana maraming manood."
The first episode, like the rest of the upcoming episodes in the series, featured interviews from the key players in Cansino’s basketball career – including his first coach Mc Abolucion, UP teammates Noah Webb and JD Cagulangan, and even former collegiate rival Dave Ildefonso. After hearing them speak highly of him, the PBA rookie said that he felt honored to hear the important people in his life talk about him in that regard. “Nakakatuwa eh. Alam mo yung nakaka-kilig kasi syempre, hindi naman nila sasabihin sa harap mo yun eh. So, sobrang nakakatuwa na may mga ganung thoughts pala sila tungkol sakin, and sobrang na-appreciate ko,” said Cansino. Cansino’s family members were also featured in interviews in the all-new TV series. Even as he’s already moved on to the professional ranks, the show does center on his collegiate career which was highlighted by the UAAP Season 84 title.
As the Fighting Maroons are in the middle of their redemption bid in UAAP Season 87, Cansino believes that like himself – the Maroons can also “rebound” after back-to-back heartbreaks in the UAAP Finals following the breakthrough in 2022, saying, “Well, sa UP, alam ko naman makakapag rebound kayo. Makukuha natin ulit ang ating championship kahit na hindi tayo nagtagumpay in the last two seasons at sobrang tiwala ako sa inyo." New episodes of CJ Cansino’s Rebound premiere every Monday via Pilipinas Live, the Philippines' premier sports streaming platform powered by Cignal TV Inc., which is available via Google Play for Android, Apple App Store for iOS and www.pilipinaslive.com.
(With words by Luisa Morales, OneSports.PH)
