The photo here was taken in Pateros, a suburb of Metro Manila, in the Philippines. As can be seen here, hoops is big in Pateros as it is in almost any other part of any Pinoy neighborhood.
I've been reading Rafe Bartholomew's "Pacific Rims" lately. Insightful, that one is.
For me, there is so much drama involved in a backyard baller rising up the ranks towards becoming a star player. In the Philippines, names like Ramon Fernandez, Hector Calma, and Danny Ildefonso come to mind. These fellas were not particularly well off in their youths, and yet, their skills, and inherent will and love for the game, catapulted them to success. Epic.
I remember playing ball as a kid. I used to be scared of the bigger kids (heightwise) and lacking in confidence due to my weight. That changed when I got to college, but then, it took a lot for me to get healthy. Injuries, other ailments, etc. deterred me, in my view, from reaching my full potential- but it didn't matter. I loved (and love) the game, and so long as I was involved with hoops somehow, I was happy.
Nothing beats playing hoops in your local neighborhood. That's freedom. That's pure joy. Therein lies a feeling every basketball afficionado should feel- and never let go of.
MC
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