Nene: First Filipino in NBA

Nene effortlessly saunters into the grand lobby of the posh Beverly Hills hotel, checks for his messages at the front desk and, sensing something, laughs . . . again.

A few feet away, the bellhop, a man in his mid-30s, does a double take upon recognizing the Denver Nuggets star front-courter and approaches him with a greeting tinged in Rio de Janiero slang while offering up a soul handshake -- the universal sign of brotherhood. Nene graciously returns the salutation and the man, walks away -- all smiles -- more than content.

"The same exact thing happened to me two days ago in Miami only it was the bartender and it was at the W Hotel, " he recalls. "If I had a dime for every person who spoke to me as a 'fellow' Brazilian, I'd have as much money as 'Melo (Nuggets star rookie Carmelo Anthony).

"I don't have the heart to tell them that I'm not what they think I am."

The man with the singular name is, after all, not Brazilian, as many have incorrectly surmised. Rather, the man born Maybyner "Nene" Artemio Angulo Hilario is, in fact, something alltogether different.

"I'm Filipino." he says, with a matter-of-fact grin. "My father's family hails from Aklan and my mother's family is from Negros Oriental."

One awaits the punchline that never comes, betrayed my his unflinching eye contact. Gradually, the questions come forth like wine pouring from a tilted bottle, take for instance his 6'11 height and his dark complexion.

"My family are Aetas," he says, referring to the aboriginal inhabitants of the region.

Raised in Brazil where his father, Gregorio, moved the family after being assigned to oversee a corned beef processing plant, and now in his third year as an NBA professional with the upstart Denver franchise, the man who could conceivably be the world's tallest Filipino, is on the verge of a rapidly accelerating NBA career yet, at a mystery as to why people incorrectly lable his nationality as Brazilian.

Yet, in a season where he is averaging career highs in both scoring, rebounding and minutes played, he, based on the example set by his parents, takes it all in stride.

"If I can make people happy, then it's all good," he concludes. "However, I'm no less proud to be what I am.

"I just which more Filipinos would greet me as much as the Brazilians do."

From: The Flavor Online, 2004.