IN less than a year since handling a group of young players in the Gilas Pilipinas program, head coach Tab Baldwin was able to transform young boys into grown men or, in his own words, amateurs into professionals.

'Obviously, there are arbitrary terms and I think the better term is we were able to professionalize these young players. They were amateurs in their approach to the game and amateurs in attitude, and we've helped them towards professionalism. They've become professionals,' Baldwin told The Manila Times in a Viber interview.