Amy Delos Reyes
- Basketball player Ricci Rivero shared how he struggled with depression in the past
- He was previously accused of drug abuse while he was still part of De La Salle’s Green Archers
- His story is currently featured in the sports documentary series titled Dayories
University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) superstar Ricci Rivero of UP Fighting Maroons recently shared in an interview how he struggled with depression which he experienced after he was accused of illegal use of drugs. Rivero along with Ange Koame of Ateneo Blue Eagles, and Rhenz Abando of UST Growling Tigers are currently featured in the sports documentary series titled Dayories streaming on iWant.
The popular basketball player recalled that it was a tough time for him being involved in drug abuse allegations when he was still part of the Green Archers team of De La Salle.
“Kasi nga, siguro po do’n sa story ko nga I’ve been through so much like yung sa… and siguro nga naging comfortable lang ako with La Salle—high school until college—kaya depressing yung nangyari, na nawala ako sa La Salle.
“And then, feeling ko talaga that time do’n na ako mag ga-graduate, and all that, na I will finish my college there and I will play for them for the rest of my UAAP career. For me kasi yung UAAP are the best days of a basketball player talaga so sobrang thankful ako for that.”
He continued, “But then yon nga, because of some problems I have to transfer, and siguro yung problems na yon parang nag-boom talaga siya and parang most of the people around me talaga are talking about it and some are judging me and all that. But then I have to siguro take it in a positive way lang kasi it’s going to be hard nga for me to take it in a problematic way,” Rivero explained.
He then said that he was thankful to the Kapamilya network for sharing his story with others.
“Sobrang thankful ako sa ABS-CBN for giving me this opportunity to express my story. And siguro just like normal people, same lang naman po tayo lahat, nagkaka-problem, nagkakamali, may mga nagagawa hindi tama. But then siguro, you have to accept the fact lang na no matter how happy or how famous or rich you are hindi mawawala ang problema. What’s important is kung paano mo ito iha-handle at haharapin.”
Though it might be a hurtful past for him, Rivero said that he has now moved on from it.
“For me, tapos na po yon,eh. Napagdaanan ko na lahat. Yung mga biro, siyempre napagdaanan ko na rin yon especially with those people na close ko talaga, pero hindi talaga namin siya ginawang parang biro before. Nung tapos na talaga yung lahat ng isyu at naka-move-on na rin kami, wala, parang… yeah, napagdaanan namin siya pero it’s not something that we have to dwell on na,” he shared.
He also shared how he reacted to his bashers online. “I don’t take it in a negative way, na iisipin ko siya as a problem. Binabasa ko talaga yung iba, yung mga iba kasi may point din naman sila. May times din talaga na mali rin ako so siyempre, I have to do something na how do I fix myself kasi nagkakamali po tayong lahat.
“Yung iba naman hinahayaan ko na lang kasi parang wala lang siguro silang magawa, so kung magagalit ako pareho lang kaming magiging masama,” Rivero stated.
Ricci Paolo Uy Rivero formerly played for the De La Salle Green Archers in his first two years in collegiate basketball after he left in April 2018.
His breakout performance in the UAAP Season 80 Men’s Basketball Tournament earned him a spot in the Mythical Five and the Most Improved Player award.He is also an actor who first featured in the MMFF film Otlum.
