Ginebra rookie Paul Garcia. Photo from PBA Rush

MANILA — Almost a year ago, Paul Garcia saw himself cut from Ateneo de Manila University's final roster for the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament.

Coming off a title run in Season 85, the Filipino-American, who was then entering his final year of eligibility for the Tab Baldwin-coached squad, saw his collegiate career come to an end without even being able to return to the UAAP hardwood.

"I played Season 85 with Ateneo, won a championship, and spent the whole off-season with them.  And then, two days before the season started, Coach Tab pulled me to his office and said that they got to let me go," revealed Garcia in the league's Media Day earlier this week. 

"It was probably one of the hardest things that I had to go through because I felt like I put so much for the team. I had no choice, so I went home. When I was home, it was kind of hard because I wanted to be out there with my brothers playing," he continued.

Garcia shared that after his exit from Katipunan in late September last year, he had to return to the States and find out other ways how he can keep his PBA dream alive. 

"I went home, and then from there, I was a varsity assistant coach for a public school that was close to me. I was also training some high schoolers, so I was kind of working, but I was also working out because I was planning a comeback through the MPBL," said the 5-foot-11 guard.

"Even when I got cut, I still wished to enter the draft. I just wanted to play in the MPBL first until the draft. It was always the draft. When I came back here in February, I didn't have any offers anywhere. I worked out with six different teams. I joined Pampanga, but I wasn't playing a lot. So I asked for my release, and then I joined Quezon City. They gave me more opportunities, he continued.

But despite a cameo for MPBL powerhouse Pampanga Giant Lanterns and a solid showing for Quezon City Toda Aksyon, Garcia still had a lot to make a lot of noise for himself as he was part of a Draft Class that featured the likes of Justine Baltazar, RJ Abarrientos, and Serdrick Barefield.

Enter the 2024 Rookie Draft Combine.

It was in the two-day combine where Garcia turned heads, introduced himself to the league's coaches and staff, and boosted his stock more and more. Fortunately, he was able to get the attention of the winningest coach in PBA history — Barangay Ginebra San Miguel's Tim Cone. 

"I've never seen Paul play until the PBA Combine. He just caught my eye, the way he was at the three-point line, how hard he was running, how well he defended," said the Gilas Pilipinas mentor in a separate interview. 

Cone bared that it was the Atenean's performance in the combine that eventually paved the way for Garcia to be among the prospects that Ginebra was interested in during the annual proceedings. 

"We weren't really planning on drafting him, but I talked about him and said: 'I liked this guy.' Olsen [Racela] said that he's available. We were debating that our line-up was too full, and I didn't want to cut a guy and just bring him in. And then at the very end, we go: 'Okay, let's do it,'" Cone revealed. 

But while he heard his name called at the Glorietta Activity Center, Garcia knew that there were no guarantees. 

"I didn't know what to expect. Sometimes, third-rounders don't sign," he admitted. 

"It was a blessing for me," continued Paul as he spoke about his draft experience. "I was kind of scared a little bit. I didn't know if I was gonna fall in the draft, that's why I'm just happy that Coach Tim saw something in me. Once they called my name, my stomach dropped a little bit."

"But I just knew going into practice that I had to play my best. I was still there at all the practices, and I had to take a break from my MBPL team to prioritize Ginebra."

Meanwhile, Cone also offered no promises to the 34th overall pick despite thinking highly of Garcia as no roster spots were previously available in Ginebra. 

"He was very impactful, and we [coaches] knew pretty quickly that he was gonna make the team. But I told him personally that we're gonna wait 'til after Macau and then make that decision. I said that if he has other offers [from other teams], he can take that," he said.

"[The management] was like: Who is this guy? The coaching staff and the players, we knew he could play. But we still had to convince the management because they don't see him every day like we do. But the way he performed in Macau, it cemented the management's mind that he needs to be on the team," added Cone.

Garcia eventually did well against the New Taipei Kings, putting up seven points, five assists, and three rebounds, and he even hit a crucial basket for the Gin Kings in the clutch — one that was vital in their triumph. 

"Coach Tim gave me an opportunity, and I guess, I capitalized on that. I'm sure that's what they saw, and I'm happy that they were able to sign me," said Garcia of his outing that led to him signing a two-year deal with the Gin Kings.

"I kinda had a feeling, and I was kind of hoping, and they did, so I'm grateful. I was about to cry. Because this is a dream come true," he continued.

Cone then compared Garcia to one of his former aces in PJ Simon who also relatively entered the league with only a few being knowledgeable with the background of the 'Scoring Apostle.'

"I want to compare him to PJ Simon. He kind of had a similar story. A fifth-round pick, so nobody was really thinking much about him," said Cone.

"But just the fact that they are in-betweener, in-between a point guard and an off-guard. I think in our system, that can work for us. We're gonna keep him, and we expect him to play."

Garcia also earned comparisons from fans to Ginebra star Scottie Thompson, but he said that his main focus is to learn from the one-time league MVP.

"Honestly, I was just honored to be in the same sentence with Scottie. I'm not gonna lie, I haven't seen him play that much," said the rookie, who is now using Thompson's former No. 6 jersey with the Kings.

Ginebra rookie Paul Garcia. Photo from PBA Rush

"But the things that I have seen, I can say that it's quite similar," he answered, pointing out the aggressiveness and toughness that Garcia prides himself on. "It's a real honor though. I'm hoping to learn from him a lot. Learning from Scottie and all of the vets, I'm trying to learn as much as I can."

Moving forward, Garcia is now focused on proving himself yet again much like how he did when he was cut from the Blue Eagles' roster. 

"I'm blessed and happy that the bosses and Coach Tim saw something in me. I'm hoping to prove them right and also prove it to myself," he said.

As for Ateneo, Garcia emphasized that there is no rift between him and the Blue Eagles despite his sudden exit from their program. 

"There were no issues with Ateneo. They did what they had to do. There was no bad blood for me, and I feel like I already proved what I had to do in the MPBL with my stint in Quezon City."

"But I guess yeah, I was hoping to prove to not just Ateneo but also to everyone that I was capable of playing," he added.