How Smart Gilas Pilipinas Has Changed Philippine Basketball By Miguel Cortez

Years ago, when Pinoys competing on basketball’s world stage was nothing more than an afterthought, I turned to my father- a fellow basketball junkie- for his thoughts on what the powers-that-be ought to do to try and give the Philippines a fighting chance with regards to the halcyon days of Philippine Basketball come to the fore once again. “Kailangan ng malaki, and shooters (we need big men and shooters)” my dad exclaimed. “ The shooters are of particular importance, because what we lack in height, we can compensate for by spreading the floor through a torrent of 3s.” I have grown up in an era where the Philippines has had on its international basketball rosters players whose ethnicity has been half Filipino, half something else. This era has also been a bit of a “Twilight Zone” for bigs, one which has featured 6,6” or 6,7” cagers- formerly lumbering big men good for banging, rebounds, and chippies near the rim, going coast to coast for dunks, and, flying and zipping by opposing players as, err, guards. Suffice to say, Juan Dela Cruz’s brand of hoops has evolved more than we ever thought it could. Enter the recently concluded 27th Fiba Asia Championship, and what you get is the evolution of Filipino basketball as a case-in-point. China failed to qualify for the Fiba World Championship, as Chinese Taipei’s hot shooting and freewheeling style shocked them like a bucket of ice water on a summer’s day. Perennial favorites Iran won the entire tournament, but, was given a run for its money in the final by a gritty Gilas squad. Ranidel De Ocampo- all 6,7” of him- did its best to outwit, outplay, outlast, and yes, box out, a 7 foot, 2 inch behemoth of a man known as Hamed Hadadi. Jimmy Alapag was steady in the dying minutes of games, and was as clutch as one could ever be. Japeth Aguilar, while still noticeably lacking a consistent midrange game, was a pogo stick on defense- blocking or altering shots, clouding normally sunny days for shooters and slashers with Kevin Garnett-like efficiency. And Marc Pingris. How can we say enough about Ping’s heart? On a bum ankle, and filling in for Marcus Douthit in spots against much larger opponents, Pingris dove for loose balls, knocked in some key floaters, and displayed the grit and determination of a lion and the guts of somebody who “just doesn’t give a damn” about artsyness and flair. With Pingris, it was all hard work, and all about results. A silver medal sparkles not like gold would, but, it sparkles nonetheless. This is a huge development for a country whose basketball program has been marred by controversy, heartbreak, and a plain lack of size (not skill). Our basketball genes have evolved as would an animal species. “Life (has) found a way”, as Scientist Alan Grant from the film Jurassic Park once commented upon seeing hatched dinosaur eggs in an all-female dinosaur park. Pinoy Hoops has found a way to prevail over political, and physical, challenges. The victory has “flipped the stove open” so to speak. It has instilled a sense of confidence that normally makes people say- “Hey, I didn’t know we could get things done like this.” Suddenly, people are talking Olympics, talking medals. Some say we’re aiming way too high. I say we aim high, risk it all, take it from the top. That’s the way to go. After all, nobody ever won the “big one” without knowing all about the pain that defines failure. Jordan’s Bulls against the Pistons, the Ateneo Blue Eagles of the 1990’s, the Philippine National Basketball Teams of eras past (over the last 20 years especially). Murals line some parts of Metro Manila with “pride statements” such as “Janitor po.” and “Cashier po.” Instead of declarations of identity that are said with one’s head down, such as “Janitor lang po.” Basketball is headed that way for the Philippines. It’s on the upward slope of the hoops parabola. Might as well ride the wave. A renewed confidence has been infused into the hearts and minds of our country- undoubtedly one of, if not, the most basketball-mad nation in the world. Here’s to hoping, too, that the greed and myopic perspectives of some don’t get in the way of progress. Somewhere, an adult who can’t play the game anymore because of age, or other circumstances, suddenly rekindles his passion for the game. Jersey and kicks on, reenactment of an endgame situation in full swing. Somewhere, a little kid is picking up a basketball for the first time, thus, starting yet another hoops odyssey, another unwavering basketball dream. MC