Rio Rancho's Newsome wins MVP in Philippine basketball league

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Rio Ranchoan Chris Newsome and his team, the Meralco Bolts, took home the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) championship for the first time in the team's history as Newsome secured the MVP win for himself.

Prior to the Bolts' first championship win, they had previously competed in the final four. Going into the finals for the fifth time, Newsome says the only thing on his mind was winning.

"I just wanted to win the championship for the franchise for the first time. Me getting finals MVP, I was OK with not getting it if that meant for us winning for the first time," he said.

He credits this year's win to the team-building and camaraderie the Bolts had this season.

"We were constantly working on trying to improve our team chemistry, not just in the beginning but all throughout. And even though actually we had a lot of adversity throughout the season and we were put on the edge of elimination, even well before the playoffs. And it was those moments that made us stronger. I think without us actually taking the time to acknowledge and continue to build our team chemistry, I don't think we would have been able to band together and to be able to fight through that adversity to get to the playoffs but make it all the way to the finals and eventually win the finals," he said.

"When it comes to Meralco, my one and only goal was to get them their first PBA Championship, and now that I've done that, I guess it's fair to say that I want to be a little bit greedy and try to get them another one. I think that'd be nice for the franchise to not just establish themselves as you know, a one-time champion but a multi-championship franchise, and I definitely feel like that's possible to do, especially if we keep our core together. So yeah, my PBA goal would be to definitely get Meralco, not just the one but multiple championships, and as far as the national team goes, my goal is to make it to the Olympics and to to be an Olympian for the Philippines."

After winning the championship, Newsome played on the national team with a shot at the Olympics in Paris. The team lost to Brazil, 71-60, in the semifinals. Newsome says it's still an accomplishment to play.

"Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the Olympics. But just the fact that I'm on a national team that is competing for a slot in the Olympics, that that's already, you know, a big accomplishment that I never would have dreamed of whenever I was growing up in Rio Rancho," he said.

"It's been quite a long time since the Philippines has had Olympics in basketball. Being a basketball country in the Philippines, I know they would take a lot of pride in that and just to see that we were two games away. It hurt to lose to Brazil the other night, but at the same time, it also confirmed that we're very, very close to that breakthrough. So my next goal for the country of the Philippines would be to qualify for the Olympics," Newsome added.

Before playing in the PBA, Newsome participated in track and field, basketball and football at Rio Rancho High School, graduating in 2008. In 2019, Chris became a member of Rio Rancho High School Sports Hall of Fame.

"I really enjoyed being a resident of Rio Rancho, an athlete of Rio Rancho. I mean, it started all the way from soccer programs to Little League Baseball, all of my sports, everything that I've done involving sports has started in Rio Rancho. So I'm a true product of Rio Rancho, and I'm proud of that," Newsome said.

Newsome played many sports and his father, Eric Newsome, says he was gifted in all of them.

Eric says that he knew Chris was going to be special and he would take time off of work to travel and take Chris and his siblings to their games, who all played basketball for the Rams.

"Chris was my natural athlete. Whatever Chris touched, he could do it well," Eric said. "He was a star soccer player, he played football, he was a star football player. He could've got scholarships for just playing football. I mean, everything he touched — at the church, he touched the drums and played it well. Chris is just a natural, he is. A born natural for sure," Eric said.

Eric attributes his children's interest in basketball to his own. "I played a lot of ball while I was in the military," he said.

He also had basketball toys for their car seats and playpens for them in the gym where he played. "They would watch me play every day. It was bred, instilled in them."

It's not only Chris' father who was supportive of his athletic journey, but the city as well.

"Rio Rancho is very supportive of their athletes, and I think that's something that I've missed, for sure, is the support of their community," Chris said.

Newsome says he remembers the city's support before a state championship game.

"We're on our way to The Pit for a championship game and we have kind of like, a parade going through the city and all the local businesses have their signs up, showing their support for us. And, you know, that's a memory that I have til this day, is the support that the city had for their athletes."

After graduating from Rio Rancho High, Newsome attended New Mexico Highlands University for three years. In 2011, he transferred Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines due to the PBA's interest in him. He has lived in the Philippines since.

"I didn't really anticipate that I would be playing basketball in the Philippines," Newsome said.

"They really wanted him because of his skills and athleticism, but he was only 19 at the time. So the number one college out there said, 'I will give him a full scholarship if we can have you sign Chris Newsome.' So Chris Newsome came and dropped out of school from Highlands University," Eric explained.

Newsome wanted to thank a few people for their help in his journey.

"I have some amazing experiences and some memories that that I will always cherish from Rio Rancho, of course. And you know, the people that I grew up with all helped to shape who I am today,"

He notes his former coach from Rio Rancho High, Brian Smith, saying Smith not only had an influence in the way he approaches the game of basketball but also how he approaches life.

"He was a big part of that community growing up and I think he was able to influence not just my generation, but many generations via the camps that he held and just how he was conducting the program at Rio Rancho High School, so he definitely made me a great a better man, and not just an athlete.

He also mentions Joe Harge, his coach at New Mexico Highland University.

"Without him I definitely wouldn't have been able to make it to the Philippines as well because he's the one that gave me my first shot at just playing college basketball. And he eventually was the one that connected me to the Philippines and he put the dream of playing basketball in the Philippines out there for me, and here I am.

"I want to give a shout out to (former Observer sports editor) Gary Herron and for all the work that you've done and all the athletes that you have been a part of their journey, including mine."

He also thanks his mom, Carmelita, who is still a resident of Rio Rancho.

"She's the whole reason why I'm in the Philippines right now. Because if it wasn't for her, if it wasn't for her culture, then this definitely wouldn't be a possibility," he said, saying that she is the mother of this Filipino product, referring to himself.

To all the young Rio Rancho athletes, Newsome says, "It's definitely possible to come from the little city of Rio Rancho and to be able to do great things for yourself, but I think what it comes down to is having the right mindset and having the right people supporting you. And, of course, it's just doing your best every single day."

He encourages young athletes to continue dreaming, but he acknowledges the differences of growing up nowadays.

"There's nothing wrong with having a big aspirations. But I think the difference lies in doing what it takes to be able to achieve it and and to not be distracted. In this day and age, there's a lot of distractions that are there and there's a lot of, I guess, false gratifications that are there in the day of social media," he explains.

He says that kids feel like failures when they don't reach a lifestyle they are being fed through social media, including colleges.

"I'm just here to tell you that that's not true. You don't need the D1 scholarships because I didn't come from a D1 school. I didn't go to UNM. I didn't go to New Mexico State University. I went to New Mexico Highlands University, and here I am on a on a national team, competing for the Olympics. You don't need those things. Those are nice things to be able to say you did, but that's not the end of it, so you can still accomplish great things even though you don't achieve that that standard of society that says you have to be a D1 athlete,"

Instead, Newsome says that young athletes should surround themselves with good people and not to get discouraged if things don't work out.

"There's going to be a lot of times when things don't go your way, but you have to continue to push and fight for your dreams because nothing worth having comes easy," he said.

Newsome says that young athletes can connect with him through his social media.

"If you want to see some of the stuff that I work on as a professional, and maybe you can apply it to yourself. These are things I wish I would have done in high school, but better late than never. So yeah, there's definitely ways that you can still reach out to me and still try to bridge that gap to where I could still help the next generation and some way without physically having to be there,"

In addition to Newsome's new MVP status, he received a 2024 Honda Winner X motorcycle from the PBA's sponsor, Honda.