‘Stay in the Gym’: Bayla Reflects on Lessons from Rose, Europe
When Jacob Bayla boarded a flight to Treviso, Italy for the 2025 adidas Eurocamp, he was more than just a rising college star. He was the lone Filipino representative in one of the world’s most prestigious basketball development events — sharing the court with top international prospects, training under NBA-caliber coaches, and unknowingly stepping into a life-changing conversation with one of his idols: Derrick Rose.
Bayla, a 6-foot-4 guard for the UP Fighting Maroons, was part of Team World, composed of elite young players from Brazil, China, Japan, and other basketball hotbeds. The three-day camp featured intense shooting workouts, advanced pick-and-roll reads, defensive coverages, and live scrimmages all under the watchful eyes of NBA scouts and veterans.
“It was a great experience especially competing against top prospects around the world,” Bayla told me over a phone call on a rest day during the UP Fighting Maroons’ current training trip to Serbia. The UPMBT won their first tune-up in a close matchup on Thursday.
“I learned a lot from the coaches and trainers. I’m thankful I got to represent the Philippines there. I want to thank adidas for making it happen… I always dreamed about going to this camp even before.”
But for Bayla, the trip’s most unforgettable moment happened after the drills ended — while getting up extra shots in a quiet gym.
“I was shooting after the camp. It was us three players. And we just see D-Rose come up to us,” Bayla said. “He was asking where we were from. When it got to me, I said, ‘the Philippines.’ He said, ‘Oh, the Philippines! I love the Philippines.’”
That conversation — brief, unscripted, and honest — became a turning point.
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“I asked him for advice,” Bayla shared. “He said, ‘Just keep working hard… You gotta stay in the gym all the time because of how skilled all y’all are. Most guys, when they do make it, they don’t work hard.’ That hit me hard. I really needed to hear that.”
For Bayla, hearing those words from someone he idolized growing up was deeply emotional. “I told him I watch his highlights every morning. He thanked me for that. Just to see one of the people I looked up to give me a good talk — it was really inspiring.”
Aside from the mentorship, the experience was eye-opening on the court. “The players there were definitely bigger,” he said. “In the Philippines, you can shoot over people. But there, you have to maneuver, be smarter. I learned to read all the options in the pick-and-roll… hedge, drop — those reads matter.”
He also had to adjust quickly to a faster-paced, more physical game. “It was like an NBA shooting workout. You can’t coast. You have to be sharp every rep.”
Even without a working phone — “my phone broke, so I just got to take it all in” — Bayla embraced every moment. From the pasta and gelato to the film-room lessons and NBA-level mentorship, it was an experience that left him recharged and refocused.
Now reunited with his collegiate team, he’s bringing more than just skill back to Diliman.
“I want to apply what I learned in the UAAP,” Bayla said. “Smarter decision-making, better pick-and-roll reads, using my body more effectively on defense… and just staying in the gym. Always staying in the gym.”
As the first Filipino to attend adidas Eurocamp, Bayla understands the weight of the moment. “D-Rose told me it was huge that I was out there. That we’re starting to make noise. I won’t forget that.”
Neither should we.
