A Legacy Continues | FilAM Sebastian Margate's Triumph at the NBTC

Written by Jennifer Redondo

Sebastian Margate, the son of former basketball star Sunny Margate, known as "Mr. Intangible" during his professional basketball career in the Philippines from 1998 to the early 2000s, is making his own mark on the basketball court. Blessed with a father who had an exceptional strategic mindset on the court, Sebastian is following in his father's footsteps as he hones his skills and takes his game to the next level. Recently returning from the Philippines, where he participated in the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) 2024 Tournament in Manila, Sebastian, at just 16 years old, impressed by playing on the 19U team. Making history, Sebastian and his team became the first international squad to claim victory in the Division 1 NBTC tournament, a feat achieved in the tournament's 14-year history!

We had the opportunity to sit down with Sebastian and Sunny upon their return. Read on to learn more about Sebastian’s experience returning to the motherland for the second time, doing what he loves, of course, with his dad supporting him along his journey. 

1. Tell us about yourself, Sebastian. 

Sebastian Margate: I'm Sebastian Margate. I’m a sophomore attending Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. I play the point guard position on our varsity basketball team. Last year, I gained the opportunity to get called up to junior varsity (JV) which hadn’t been done for quite some time. My parents split up when I was young so I grew up in Vallejo, where I stayed with my mom from preschool all the way to eighth grade. I just moved with my dad out here in the city for high school. The transition was hard at first. I was in a new town, new people, and a new environment. People out in San Mateo have money, and they are very different from the people I grew up with in Vallejo. It’s a different culture. I was very nervous. I was trying to fit in, at the same time, finding myself. Luckily, I played basketball and I moved up to JV my first year and was MVP. That definitely made it easier for me to find myself within the community and around school.   

Prior to high school, I went to a small school, with the same 15 students my whole life! Now, there are 800-1,000 students. Growing up, I was surrounded with a lot of Filipinos. Honestly, as different as it is here, I am happy with my decision. I love Serra! I love my experience so far, and my classmates. I've grown to learn more about everyone and the people I hang out with. I love the support that everyone gives me. Serra is an all boys school. It’s really different, but it’s a bonus! I've actually really enjoyed it because it’s pretty fun and comfortable. There's no need to try to be someone that you're not. It’s an experience that’s hard to explain. If you know, you know. 

I love all my teachers, and the school has been really supportive of me. They allowed me to go to the Philippines twice this year, with a lot of unexcused absences! They’ve supported me through it all so I really appreciate that.  

2. How did you get into basketball? Did your dad make you? Do you feel pressure?

Sebastian Margate: Obviously, I developed the love of the game from my dad! He lived in the Philippines and played ball out there for a little bit. He played basketball from high school to Gellert Park to the professional level overseas. Even after he came back to the U.S., he continued to do tournaments and played in leagues all over the Bay Area. During that time, I was in Vallejo. My dad would pick me up every other weekend, and I was with him everywhere –  in the gym, watching him play and even carrying his bag. I was always that kid in the gym shooting around during timeouts or half time. I was also that kid that would get caught dribbling the ball when I wasn't supposed to. Growing up, we had a van. My dad had all these old movies and CDs so I was always watching movies that dealt with basketball. I played all the basketball video games on the Xbox 360 or on the iPad. I was always around it and my sister also played. Everything was pretty much basketball! And then, I started playing at the age of five years old.

When I got to the fourth or fifth grade, my dad stepped in. Two to three times a week, I started playing on a team called Work Hard Play Hard in San Francisco. My mom would drive me from Vallejo all the way to the city for practices. On the weekends, I was just playing basketball. That’s when it really started, and it was kind of tough. I wasn't really that good. It was definitely a lot, for both my parents. My mom was a single mom and she was sacrificing a lot. She would work all day, to take care of me and then drive to the city, and wait there. We would drive all the way back to Vallejo after practice. I would come home and sleep at 11 or 12, to wake up and do it all again. That was a lot and now I can see the frustration that my parents probably had. There were a lot of times I wasn't really performing. And I started to think, was it worth it to do all of that? There were times where I wanted to quit. At ten years old, I was all about video games and hanging out with my friends. Basketball wasn’t really my priority. 

It wasn’t until COVID-19 happened that things started to change! We all struggled, lots of people got sick and passed away. That’s when I felt like it really clicked for me. My dad started to take me to go work out. Every day we were doing something and that’s when I really developed more of a passion. I started to have fun, and at that point,  I really started taking it seriously. That’s when I started to develop as a player. 

Obviously, because of who my dad is, there is definitely a lot of pressure. There’s pressure from him and who I am. Moving from Vallejo to the city made sense, especially because of the school and the competition is definitely better out here. Serra is part of the top leagues in northern California. There’s a lot of big names that come from this league and go pretty far with basketball. We play a lot of future Division 1 athletes, which is the same league that Aaron Gordon came from. 

3. Who is your favorite basketball team? 

Sebastian Margate: My dad is a Lakers fan. I don't really have a favorite team. I just enjoy watching.

If I had to pick a favorite basketball player, it would be Kyrie Irving. He could finish, shoot, dribble, and has a floater. He can score on practically anyone. He doesn't really say much, he just plays. He's just so fun to watch. He's arguably the best ball handler of all time. The other thing I really appreciate about him is that he's really coming out and expressing himself despite all the hate he gets from people . 

4. Is the saying true for you – is ball life? 

I’ve been around a couple of teams. When I was in junior high, my dad continued to find the best situation for me and decided to form his own team, Team Savs. He coached alongside Derek Lau, the women’s basketball coach from San Francisco City College. Currently, I am playing for my high school and another team called Bay City Warriors.

Once again, my dad’s connections that he’s made, gave me the opportunity to play in the Philippines. Last year in August, I had the opportunity to try out for the Philippines national team. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to try out. It was quite an experience and I wouldn't trade it for another.  

This year, I had the opportunity to go to the Philippines again for the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) tournament through Fil-Am Nation Select. Fil-Am Nation Select is a program that helps aspiring Filipino-American athletes prepare and expedite dual citizenship applications to play for the Philippines. They give young athletes like myself, an opportunity to compete at the collegiate, amateur and professional level in the motherland. 

5. How do you feel after coming back from the Philippines? Has this experience changed your life? If so, how? 

I was in the Philippines for 11 days! It was a totally different lifestyle! Coming from San Francisco where it’s cold, I wore sweats on the plane. I was all cozy, until we landed in Manila, and I started to sweat. Once I stepped off the plane, I started to peel off the layers. Aside from being hot, I also noticed that we are giants over there! I'm only 5’10” and my dad is 6’3”. 

It was crazy to see the passion that Filipinos have for basketball! I saw kids playing basketball with no shoes, just flip-flops. Some kids don't even have anything and they're still playing, even if they don’t have a hoop. They make do by attaching something to a tall pole or wall. For them, that’s a basketball court, and they love it!    

While I was out there, we did community outreach and service at the Tenement Court, which is an iconic landmark in basketball culture. It broke my heart to see all these little kids running around us, fighting for shoes that they would probably never fit. These children were fighting over a men's size 12 or 10. They didn’t care if it didn’t fit. They just wanted to have shoes! 

I also met a kid that looked like he was ten years old. This really got me – because he was just a year younger than me. He did not look 15! That really hurt me because these kids are malnutritioned.That was really tough to see. It was very eye-opening. I worry about what am I gonna eat next and these kids are wondering if they're even gonna eat or when's their next meal gonna be? Or even just the shoes! Here I am getting shoes all the time. Kids over there don't even play in shoes. They never even owned a pair of shoes. So it was very humbling. 

This experience taught me that we just have to be grateful. What those kids have to face doesn't compare to what we think is a struggle. What do I need to actually worry about? Here I am worried about when's my next haircut or if I can get a new pair of shoes. That's what I'm sad about – meanwhile, these kids have nothing. I'm sure most of them don’t even go to school. No education or TV, and here we’re worried about our phones being charged or when there’s no Wi-Fi. But the craziest thing to me though was that those kids were the happiest! 

I'm grateful for my grandparents choosing to come to the United States, for the future of our family. It made me realize that I should not take the life that I have here for granted, and to really remind myself to try and live it up every day because those people dream of the life that I have.

6. Now that you’re of driving age here in the United States, do you have your license? Would you attempt to drive in the Philippines? 

Sebastian Margate: No, I do not drive yet. I have been so busy that I haven’t been able to start anything. I thought traffic out here was bad, but the traffic in Manila is terrible. Those people are skilled! I never got into an accident while I was out there. Drivers in the Philippines are not scared. There are lines on the floor, but they do not care. There's no such thing as a lane. People will literally drive in the middle of the line. Distances that should probably take 20 minutes turn into an hour or even more. So I hated the traffic there for sure. Another form of transportation is Grab, which is an app and service similar to Uber. Also, lots of mopeds! Moped drivers cutting through everything, splitting through cars and all that. That was really crazy! It’s so dangerous and people are dying all the time. My Uncle Nick told me that it’s common for people to die from accidents because it’s cheaper to run someone over and kill them because the cost of funerals is so much higher otherwise. 

7. Let’s talk about the basketball tournament. Did you expect to win it all? 

Sebastian Margate: Filipinos aren’t as tall or as athletic as opponents that I am used to dealing with – here I am dealing with 6’9” and 7 footers in high school! My 19U team consisted of mixed Filipinos and some full blooded ones from all over. We also had the number one player in the Philippines, Andy Gemao. Our team was stacked! I believed that we would just win it all – how could we not? We had everything: height, athleticism, experience,wings, forwards, guards… we had it all!  There were a few teams that kind of hit us in the mouth and gave us some really good games. In the end, we came out with the win. Hopefully, next year I get the opportunity to come back and play. 

8. Now that you’re back, what have you been focusing on? 

Sebastian Margate: After the Philippines, I came back and went directly to school after the plane landed in SFO at 6 AM! I had a couple of tests and then the next day I had the PSAT. Shortly after that, I spent spring break visiting my grandparents in San Diego. When we got back to the bay,  I spent the weekend with my mom because I hadn't seen her. Now, I have just been working out, going to school, and playing for Bay City on the weekends. 

9. What are some of your goals? 

Sebastian Margate: Right now, I'm trying to get a consistent 4.0. or above. After coming back from the Philippines, I want to talk to my school about starting up an organization or organizing an effort to send things to the Philippines. I’m sure there's a lot of things people don't need or use that they can give to those in need.  

Next year, I really want to do well in school and I want to win league, Central Coast Section (CCS), or state. My goal for high school is to hit 1,000 points  in my career. I am not sure where I am at exactly, probably around 400-500 points so far? 

Other than that, I want to play and turn this into a living. It’s fantastic that I get to play in high school, and maybe I will play in college. I would, of course, like to play Division 1. I could see myself playing in the Philippines, Asia, or elsewhere – wherever I could possibly just continue to play and get paid. 

Jennifer Redondo: You need to finish college first.

Sebastian Margate: Yeah, I don't know? Obviously, I think my mom and grandparents would rather have me focus on school and finishing college. We'll see what happens.

10. What obstacles have you had to face during the 16 years you’ve been on this Earth? 

To start, being a student athlete is a struggle.

But also growing up, my parents weren’t together. It was rough at times – as a kid, we were driving from Vallejo to San Francisco every weekend. What other kid plays in Vallejo and drives all the way to San Francisco to play basketball? That was tough. Even now, I'm trying to find the discipline to continue to work out and the motivation to continue to play. My whole life, I’ve always had straight A’s, and that’s hard to maintain in high school. Life just got even busier. It’s a challenge for me right now as I'm taking honors and up to junior level classes as a sophomore. It's really hard to balance both because I'm so tired.  

There are times where I workout at 6 AM so I need to wake up around 5:30. Then, I have tests. I'm falling asleep in class and immediately after school, I have conditioning, or lifts, and then more workouts. I’m not getting home until 9-11 PM! I still have to eat, study, do homework, chores, and sleep. Yesterday, I went to school and then I came home for 20 minutes. I ate and then headed to practice and I worked out. I didn't get home until 10 PM and I still had to study for my test the next day. 

It's hard, but I have fun doing it. I know I'm missing out on all the other things – like hanging out with friends and family. I miss a lot of birthdays and I don't get to see my grandparents often as much as I want to. When we went to San Diego to visit, I could just see my grandparents getting old. It sucks that we only get to see them once a year. So that's a struggle. It's like I am missing out on life! 

There's a lot of great opportunities at Serra, and I am grateful for the opportunities. For example, last year as a freshman I joined crew! A lot of schools don't have that. Before that, I never rowed a boat. I wasn't really into it at first, however, I learned that I love it! Crew is year round so it’s hard for me to do it now because I am still playing basketball. I also missed a lot while I was away in the Philippines. 

After going to the Philippines do I really have any struggles? No, I have everything. I have a home. I have transportation. I have guaranteed food, education, and access to money. Now, looking at it, there is no struggle! There's none. 

11. In moments of self-doubt, what do you do to build yourself back up?

Sebastian Margate: I mean, like I said, I struggle finding the motivation. I also think about – am I good enough? Am I doing it all for nothing? There's definitely a lot of that. I just keep trying to tell myself that I got this! My dad always says, “ The harder you work, the luckier you're gonna get”. 

I’m just trying to continue to work hard and keep trying to play and continue to do my best and hopefully I can make something of myself. I try to keep telling myself. I can do it! 

I pray a lot. I pray every night, go to church on Sundays, and just hope that God will guide me in the right direction. I see the potential things you can do with basketball, like travel and the opportunity to meet new people and give back to my community. It's something that I would definitely enjoy.

12. What does it mean to be Filipino? 

Sebastian Margate: I'm very proud to be Filipino.The passion and the people made me feel really at home when I visited the Philippines. I felt really comfortable. Basketball has allowed me the opportunity to play in the Bay Area and has taken me to lots of places. Most of the time, I am always underestimated and I'm not looked at with high expectations because I am Filipino. Naturally, we are smaller compared to other ethnicities. To be able to play against others and win makes it much more special! It pushes me to be successful and it motivates me. 

After going to the Philippines and seeing those kids, I'm not just playing for myself, or my last name, or my family! But it's for the Filipinos that look up to me! I want to give them hope and bring them joy because they love watching me play, since they have so much love for the game. To be able to do something that makes other people happy, definitely makes it special. 

I love the Filipino culture. I love our people. I love our traditions and our food. My favorite food is kare kare! The food in the Philippines is amazing. All the different places I tried, never missed. The food was always good, every single time. It did not matter where or who's making it! 

13. What’s your favorite Filipino restaurant in the Bay Area? 

Sebastian Margate: Lucky Chances in South City! They have the best kare kare. At Lucky Chances, they got everything you want there.

Jennifer Redondo: They got everything, all day, every day.

Sebastian Margate: Literally, all day, every day. 

14. Where can people find you? 

Sebastian Margate: On Instagram, @bassgogetit 

Jennifer Redondo: Alright, and how about the girls?

Sebastian Margate: No time honestly! 

Jennifer Redondo: Good answer! Stay focused.

The interview ended in a conversation with both Sebastian and his dad, Sunny. When asked who would win if they played one-on-one in their prime. Sunny confidently answered, “Me! Not even a question! But then, truth be told, at his age, he's better than I ever was. He's able to do a lot of stuff that I couldn't do. I may be stronger and bigger, but I couldn't shoot from distance the way he does. When I was his age, I just outworked the competition. My will to win was big and I did everything to get after it. If Sebastian has aspirations of playing at the next level in college and pro, then that's his journey. All I do is just walk with him. He sacrifices a lot. He understands what he has to do. He's doing a lot more than most. I'm super proud of him. I always tell him, the harder you work, the luckier you're gonna get.” – it looks like it’s working because this phrase has already been ingrained in Sebastian’s mind and it shows through his actions.  

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Written by Jennifer Redondo

Co-Founder and Co-Author of In Her Purpose

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