Justin Bieber in a happy place with 'Swag'

AS OF PRESS TIME, the quarterfinal showdown of Gilas Pilipinas against Australia in the FIBA Asia Cup is still about to unfold.

- DOLLY ANNE CARVAJAL

Win or lose, Gilas already showed the world our "Never Say Die" spirit when they beat Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, the ball game between Gilas and the Boomers won't turn into a "basket Brawl" again à la 2018.

The darling of the crowd, Dwight Ramos is movie star material, but showbiz does not seem to be on his agenda. When I met Dwight after a Gilas exhibition match, I told him that he has a striking resemblance to Lee Min Ho. I thought he would be flattered, but he was mum. It turns out that he's clueless about the Korean superstar. That only goes to show how "unshowbiz" Dwight is.

Kai Sotto is not in the Gilas line-up due to an injury. A fan posted a sweet pic of Kai with his girlfriend, Rere Madrid, dipped in a pool. It has elicited naughty and funny comments such as "Nanalo ang Gilas, pero mas Panalo si Kai."

Wonder when another hardcourt heartthrob, Kobe Paras will be part of the national team again.

If and when Dwight, Kai and Kobe will play together, GILAS should be called GIRLS' LUST instead. The three of them are MVPs even off the court... Most Valuable Papas.

APO'S LIBRO What would OPM (Original Pilipino Music) be without APO Hiking Society's songs? The iconic trio of Jim Paredes, Danny Javier and Boboy Garovillo could very well be chroniclers of our lives because their music kept us company through our highs, lows and in-betweens. APO's songs are the G.O.A.T., Greatest of all Tunes.

After five decades, APO's magic lives on. In celebration of their golden year, they released a book, Limang Dekada nAPO Kami. It is the ultimate reference book about the well-loved triumvirate. (Hardbound: P2,500, Softbound: P1,800. For orders, visit @[e-mail]).

Fifty never sounded so good. Bravo, APO, bravo.

Here's my chat with Jim:

If you would pick just one decade in Apo's journey, which one stands out in your memory?