Francis Lopez Is Done Adjusting and Now He Wants to Dominate

Francis Lopez knew his first season as a professional basketball player was going to be different. After spending his college years with UP, Lopez left the familiar atmosphere of Philippine basketball and found himself in Japan, sharing the floor with former NBA players and Japanese veterans who had already spent years building their careers. The adjustment was difficult, but the experience gave him something he could carry into his second season: a better understanding of what it really takes to be a professional.

“My first year as a professional, it was really hard to adjust because, you know, there are some ex-NBA players, there are some Japanese players who are really experienced, so it was hard to adjust. But at the same time, I was able to learn, and this season, this coming season, I’m really excited to show that.”

Learning What It Takes to Be a Pro

The biggest lesson wasn’t necessarily something he learned during games. Lopez began noticing the habits of the players around him, particularly how much work they put in outside of scheduled practices and games. The difference was in the little things: arriving early, getting extra work in, and finding ways to stay productive even when there was no team session waiting for them.

“Probably the mentality that they have. You can’t just practice and then go home, play a game, then just go home. You gotta still work. Like, just do something. Go to the gym, wake up in the morning, just being early in the gym. All those little things are really important.”

Lopez knew he had to adapt if he wanted to keep up. His first season became less about immediately proving himself and more about understanding the standard expected of him as a professional, especially in a league filled with experienced players. He was willing to embrace those habits, and the work he put in during the offseason now has him looking toward his second year with a different level of confidence.

Finding a Life in Japan

Life away from basketball, however, came with its own adjustments.

Living alone in Japan meant Lopez had to figure out a new routine while also dealing with a language barrier. Many of his teammates and people around the team did not speak much English, so conversations often passed through a translator before he could fully understand what was being said. It wasn’t always easy, but he eventually found a way to make it work.

“It’s hard, honestly. But I was able to adjust. It’s hard because most of them don’t know English that much, so for me to talk to the translator, and then the translator would talk to the Japanese people to make me understand everything. But at the same time, it works. So, if it works, it works, I guess.”

Even his meals became part of the adjustment. Cooking never really became part of his routine, with Lopez admitting that he orders food almost every day. One place became his familiar stop after practice: Torikizoku, a grilled chicken restaurant that quickly became his go-to spot.

“No, I order every day. I order every day, Uber, every time. Then I go to this spot called Torikizoku. It’s like grilled chicken. So, I always eat that after practice.”

Japan also gave Lopez the freedom to explore on his own. Since he usually avoided taking the bus on game days, he would drive himself around, finding places to visit whenever he had time. Parks, amusement parks, roller coasters, and Ferris wheels became small ways for him to experience his new surroundings outside of basketball.

Driving itself was another adjustment, although Lopez found Japanese roads easier to navigate because of how strictly people followed traffic rules. The bigger challenge came from figuring out where he was actually going, especially when reading maps proved difficult.

“Everything is just very organized, I guess. So there’s no traffic enforcer, no police that much. You just have to see the stoplight, and then you just got to follow. Sometimes it’s very confusing because I always look at the map, and I don’t know how to read it.”

Missing Home, Leaning on Veterans

Despite settling into his new life, there are still parts of home that Lopez misses. His time with UP remains close to him, particularly the atmosphere that surrounded the Fighting Maroons. Even something as simple as hearing drums can bring him back to the feeling of playing in the UAAP.

“Honestly, yes. Hearing those drums, I feel like I was in the UAAP again. So, yeah, I really miss those.”

That homesickness sits alongside the pressure that comes with being a young professional. Lopez entered Japan knowing he would be playing alongside athletes with much more experience, and there were moments when the weight of that environment became difficult to handle. He didn’t have to figure everything out alone, though, as conversations with his coaches and veteran teammates helped him understand how to navigate the tougher parts of his first season.

“Probably the guy right there. Just got to talk to the coach every after game. And, you know, just talking to my teammates, I guess. All the veteran teammates because they’ve been in the league for so long. So I’ll be asking them, how do you handle those situations?”

Those conversations became part of his adjustment, just as much as the extra work in the gym. Lopez learned that being a professional wasn’t only about what happened when the ball was in his hands. It was also about knowing how to respond after a difficult game, asking questions, listening to players who had already gone through what he was experiencing, and coming back the next day ready to work again.

Ready to Show What He Learned

Now, with his second professional season ahead, Lopez has a much clearer idea of what he wants from himself. The goal is ambitious: he wants to dominate, consistently put up double-doubles, and show that the lessons from his first year have translated into his game.

“Probably just to dominate every game. Just probably have double-double every game. You know, it’s a lot of pressure because a lot of professional players are there. So, offseason, it was really hard. But I was really able to work on my game. So hopefully this coming season, I’ll be able to dominate.”

His first year in Japan was never supposed to be easy. It was a season of adjusting to a new country, learning from more experienced players, living independently, and figuring out how to handle the pressure that comes with entering professional basketball. Now, Lopez isn’t arriving at his second season as the same player who first stepped into Japan.

He has already learned what the league demands.

The early mornings, the extra gym sessions, the conversations with veterans, and the moments of figuring things out on his own have all become part of his growth. With another season ahead, Lopez is no longer simply trying to adjust to professional basketball—he is ready to show what he learned from it.

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