By ADRIAN STEWART CO

James Carlos Yap believes that securing a PBA championship holds more prestige than winning a school title — especially with the added financial incentives.

In an interview with Sports Now, the two-time PBA MVP candidly shared his thoughts on the difference between the two.

“Syempre iba pa din sa PBA kasi may kasamang bonus,” Yap said with a laugh.

Still, he acknowledged the unique fulfillment of winning for one’s alma mater, saying it comes with a deep sense of pride.

“Iba rin kasi kapag pride ng school ang pinag-uusapan,” he said.

“Kakaiba kasi, syempre, dito ka nag-start eh, sa Hua Siong. ‘Yung first time ko mag-champion, hindi ko makakalimutan ‘yun,” he added.

Yap recently showed he’s still got a game, leading the Hua Siong College of Iloilo-Lamtex Pipes to the championship in the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc.’s 40s Division.

The Negros Occidental’s Escalante City native dropped 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Hua Siong’s 89-85 win over Xavier School-Acrocity x Zhoosh in the finals./ASC, WDJ