Adam Pearce, FINNOVASIA: "The special thing about FTBL is the people"

Adam Pearce’s first memory of basketball was when he was given a basketball and backboard set around the age of six. During his Senior High School, he started playing for the school team and local teams.

“I chose basketball as it is a team sport and involves the whole team all the time, anyone has the possibility to score and everyone has to defend to win games.” he says. Adam enjoys the fast pace end-to-end action from the physical plays in the 80s & 90s, SPURS basketball in the early 2000s and the high flying dunks & blocks from the players today.  

Adam works for a leading privately owned Hong Kong Insurance Broker where he helps clients secure protection for their businesses and assets. An average day would involve him talking with companies such as lawyers about insurance protection for cyber security breaches or digital asset companies, such as an Exchange, which will be looking for cover for their assets against theft or loss. He would constantly liaise with Insurance companies in Asia and their Lloyds of London insurers when the UK opens.

Adam Pearce is back with FINNOVASIA for the second season of FTBL.“I’m always proud of a team that plays well and shares the ball, when everyone gets involved on the offense with good ball movement and a good scoring opportunity.” Adam’s comments. Adam enjoys playing with a collective unit that can stop a team from scoring. He was glad that his teammate Autumn stepped up and brought great ideas and plays that the team executed and lead them to win games.

Adam said, “We are very lucky to have the coaches that we have had”. Adam’s best game at FTBL was their third game from Season one when FINNOVASIA had their first win which lead them to a good run into the playoffs.

Although Adam didn’t guard this player, he would like to mention that the effort shown by Radhika Darbari of The Cryps, has pressured FINNOVASIA to push all the way to the end. He said “For a player that I have guarded it would be Kelvin Heng from FHUB, a good solid all round skill set and controlled the game.”

As FinTech continues to push the threshold of the industry to new limits, Adam feels great to be surrounded by people in the FinTech industry and talks to them in a sports/social environment. “The special thing about FTBL is definitely the people, from the organisers to the supporters who turn up and cheer every game and even the refs.” he said. “They all add to what makes the games a positive event every week.”

Adam expects FTBL to grow and for everyone who is involved to understand that it’s a social/corporate league to improve relations and image of the FinTech Industry. “Seeing how much it has grown from season 1 to season 2, I’m excited to see what it will be like in 5 years or 10 years’ time.” he said.

Q&A:

Who’s your favourite Basketball Player/NBA team?
I would say Larry Bird from Boston Celtics, Tim Duncan from San Antonio Spurs and of course Michael Jordan from the Chicago Bulls. My favourite team is Boston Celtics and I am looking forward to seeing how they do this season.

Where do you think you need to improve on?
I always need to improve on my free throws, it’s amazing to see how many games are won and lost by Free throws. Maybe work on my vertical so I can catch a few lob passes now and then!

Which team was the most challenging team to play against?
From season 1 the FHUB knocked us out of the playoffs, so I would have to say them.

Other than your team, which team do you follow in FTBL?
I look at the scores from all the other teams in our group to see how they are doing and what players are playing well.

What was your best game in FTBL ?
I think the All-Star game at the end of Season 1 was a great show piece for the league and the FinTech Industry as a whole.

If you could play with another player from another team in one team, who would it be?
I don’t think there is another player, if another team thinks they have better players then I would want to beat them with the team we have.

What can you say about this league?
I love the FTBL! From the organisation, the idea of it and how the league created a real sense of comradery among those involved is incredible.

What was the biggest learning from playing with your co-workers?
I think a lot can be taken from team sports into the office environment, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how you can work together to achieve the main goal.

Which team do you consider is the best team in FTBL?
FINNOVASIA of course!

Is this your first time playing in the league?
This is my second season playing in the FTBL.