Ex-Green Archer Gotladera shines for Ateneo against DLSU

In the midst of a sea of blue and green, the 6’5 Fonzo Gotladera stepped to the free throw line to shoot two free throws. It was the fourth quarter of a tight battle between the DLSU Green Archers and the ADMU Blue Eagles, a rivalry that has spanned decades and generations. After splitting his two shots, he sprinted back to his position on the floor for defense, yet this time he was spotting up to defend Arnold van Opstal and the rest of the Green Archers instead of standing beside them in battle.

Unknown to the casual fan, Ateneo’s new starting center was once a Green Archer. A dominant big man when he played for the San Beda Red Cubs in the juniors division of the NCAA, Gotladera was heavily recruited by universities after graduating from high school in 2011. Alongside Baser Amer, now the starting guard of the SBC Red Lions, and UE Red Warrior Chris Javier, Gotladera won back-to-back championships as a Red Cub before he eventually chose DLSU. However, the squad already had holdovers Jovet Mendoza, Maui Villanueva, Papot Paredes and Yutien Andrada manning the paint. To make matters worse, van Opstal and Norbert Torres were also joining the team as rookies that season, making it difficult for him to crack the line-up.

Gotladera would go on to play two quiet seasons for the Green Archers, scoring just two points with the Green-and-White, and he decided to take his talents to Ateneo before the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. La Salle released Gotladera, allowing him to serve just a year of residency instead of two, and it allowed him to suit up this season for the Blue Eagles. This was a similar situation to that of his current Ateneo teammate Nico Elorde who also transferred to ADMU from DLSU a year before Gotladera and has suited up for the Blue Eagles since last UAAP season.

During his time away from the bright lights of the UAAP, he bided his time playing for Ateneo’s Team B in the Father Martin Cup and it was also reported that he practiced with the NLEX Road Warriors of the PBA D-League. Gotladera recounts his year away and the preparations he made to get ready for this season, saying, “Dinevelop ko lang yung mga pull-up [jump shots] ko. I knew na role ko this year is to provide rebounds and to contain the bigs of the opponent.”

When it was time to return to the UAAP, he had a quiet ADMU debut as he scored just two points in last week’s victory over the AdU Soaring Falcons, but he came through with what was by far a career-best performance against La Salle last July 20. He tallied 17 points and eight rebounds against the Green Archers, missing just one of his seven attempts from the field, though he manged to make just five of 10 free throw attempts. The Blue Eagles eventually took a 97-86 win over the Green Archers in front of a jam-packed Smart-Araneta Coliseum, but for Gotladera, it seemed as like he was once again just practicing with the Green Archers in the ninth floor of the Don Enrique Razon Building.

“Actually parang practice nga rin. Sila-sila rin kalaro ko,” shares Gotladera after the game. He outperformed both van Opstal and Torres in this match-up, the two big men who joined the Green Archers at the same time as him, but he played without any hard feelings. He says, “Walang hard feelings pero siguro mas excited at focused ako going into this game kasi La Salle kalaban.”

“Di naman. This game was important to us and we needed to win. Actually every game counts for us and as much as possible [we want to win] to secure a good spot for the Final Four,” he adds.

True enough, Gotladera was seen cracking jokes outside the dugout after the game with Andrada and Almond Vosotros, two of his former La Salle teammates. However, their reunion was short-lived as they had to go their separate ways and rejoin their respective teams.

Now a Blue Eagle, he has a chance to shine with all the minutes that he can handle, something he would not have gotten playing behind van Opstal, last year’s UAAP Most Improved Player. Gotladera is now in the spotlight, and he has handled it well so far, but the most surprising thing about his switch of uniforms is not how he has played, but how well-received his move has been by both sides. He shared that many of his Lasallian friends had wished him luck before the game and the rest of the community greeted him warmly.

Whether ‘luck’ played a part in his big game remains unknown, but the way both sides have taken his transfer is the real story here. As early as a decade ago, he would have been pelted and booed by fans. However, supporters of both schools have now gravitated towards cheering instead of jeering and the players are content with leaving the rivalry on the court. This has allowed players like Gotladera to transfer school in their humble quest to improve their basketball skills and someday make it to the pro ranks.

Despite his transfer to ADMU, Gotladera acknowledges what La Salle has contributed to his development and almost an hour after his breakout performance in front of over 17,000 people, he shares that he has learned a lot from his stay in Taft Avenue, saying “Marami, di ko rin masabi lahat pero La Salle will always be a big part of my success, kahit saan ako mapunta.”