There is a basketball rim in every corner of the Philippines (AP Photo)
Allow me to warn you that this is a never-ending story; just like the subject itself which is a country's unconditional love for a sport that hasn't necessarily reciprocated in the same intensity.
Consider that a warning and consider this an intro.
Warning, because if you are a basketball-loving Filipino, this endless series can turn into an addiction -- like your insatiable hunger to play that game wherein you splash an orange ball through an 18-inch diamater hoop.
Intro, because it is what this is. The first chapter of my writing odyssey as I dive and reacquaint myself with the sport, its history and story, and recollect why me and my people love it with no boundaries.
Welcome to The Endless Essay: The Philippines' love affair with basketball.
Basketball is as synonymous to Philippine culture as sisig, San Miguel Beer, Manny Pacquiao and graft-and-corruption (sad but true). There's just something about that sound when you hit nothing but the bottom of the net, the intensity of a sold-out basketball arena, the pressure of shooting the last shot with 2 seconds left and your team is down by one, or even in the act of performing a perfect crossover while trying to break your defender's ankles-- or jaw for the veterans (In Tagalog we call them: "ma-gulang")-- that's gotten Filipinos hooked worse than a junkie on crack.
Even the country's most significant and prominent athlete, boxing's current best fighter Manny Pacquiao, couldn't hide his passion for the sport. During training, Pacquiao often butts heads with his trainer Freddie Roach because of restrictions regarding his basketball schedule. Roach himself insists, it's a battle he can not win and thus has given in and allowed Pacquiao more rope when it comes to playing his favorite sport. Yes, even his trainer admits, if Pacquiao had a choice, he would rather be a pro basketball player- he didn't.
Pacquiao hooping (AP Photo)
Unfortunately however, like many others similar to Manny, the game of basketball simply was not designed with the average Filipino physique in mind. I got one word for you: HEIGHT.
On the day God showered the Earth with the gift of "height" Juan Dela Cruz was in his bedroom sleeping. He was tired from hustling the previous day when God was giving away "speed". If there were a 5'9 and under league, I'm willing to bet money right now that the Philippines would be among the world's best. (Imagine this: Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks is 1/8 Filipino. His great grandpa was a full blooded Filipino according to his mom. With that said, Nate is 5'9 with shoes on. You already know which side of the family he got that from.)
Nate Robinson (AP Photo)
But somehow, the lack of height and size have not stopped Filipinos from pursuing and dreaming big in the sport they have fallen head over heels with.
You want to talk about real love for a sport? Just look in every street corner, you will find makeshift basketball courts all around the country. From the sidewalks, to the back alleys even in the cemeteries (refer to photo) as long as there is space- no surface, no terrain, no amount of hazard nor danger will stop Filipinos from playing ball. If you're a Filipino but yet to have visited the Philippines and wonder why you love the game of basketball so much, all I can tell you is that, "It's in your blood". In fact, allow me to cut this intro short. All this basketball talk is making me want to hit the court.
Until next time.. I'm out like Gilbert Arenas- because you know sooner or later, I'll be back!
(To be continued... like I said, this is just an intro. Check back as we take a look at the Philippines' rich basketball history, tradition, legends and superstars. Click on the slideshow below for a quick preview in pictures.)
Side Note:
Speaking of Gilbert Arenas... After visiting Manila in 2008, Arenas was so amazed at how much the Philippines love basketball and wrote this on his NBA Blog:
Manila
Then we stopped in Manila. It was a different world. I’ve never seen fans like that in my life. These pictures can’t even do justice to what was going on out there. I had a reception at a small, little venue to welcome me to the city and there were 200 people there.One thing I want to say about Filipinos: they’re very warm people, very good-hearted people. Like, everybody was nice. You know, you meet nice people, but a whole country of nice, genuine, warm-hearted people was unbelievable. These are diehard fans.
I really didn’t know if I was in Game 7 of a playoff series, I couldn’t tell the difference. Everywhere I went it was just bananas.
I also want to give a shout out to my man from Maryland who flew from MD to the Philippines and told me the reason he flew all the way out there was to get autographs from me because he knew I was going to be there at that date and time.
I did a couple mall tours. I also helped a kid with his wish. It was in one of the poverty areas in Manila and there’s a group called GK that builds homes for people all over the world. They helped this community out by putting people in homes. I guess a couple weeks before we got there, a hurricane hit and destroyed their community and GK helped build it back up.
One little kid who lived there wanted a basketball court for his community so all the kids could play so I donated – with the help of GK and adidas – a basketball court to that community and the kid was very happy.
You have to look at the Agent Zero posters they had out there. They put me in a cape at one of my last events in Manila. It was at one of their biggest malls and they were predicting it was going to be crowded. I mean, crowded to me is a Saturday afternoon at the mall where you have to wait in line for 10 minutes to pay for your jeans. Their crowded was probably four or five thousand people in the mall. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve seen crazy fans all over the world. It was like Golden State against the Dallas Mavericks with Game 3 back in Oakland. It was that type of atmosphere in the mall.
I was stunned.
They made me feel like an NBA star.
Any NBA players out there: If you’re having a bad day, or you’re having a bad career, go to Manila. They’ll bring your spirits up, trust me.
I felt like I just won the NBA championship, to be for real.
After we left the mall we were looking at pictures from the event a couple days later and we were telling ourselves, “Man, that was unreal!”
Plus, with the security I had, I felt like I was the President. I felt like I was Obama. I really felt like I was running in the presidential election, especially when I got to meet the U.S. ambassador out in the Philippines. We had a great time talking to each other.
Arenas in Manila (AP Photo)
We actually went to a college basketball game together. Their college game would be like if it was Duke and Maryland playing each other and you split the crowd in half, 50-50. One side of their gym was blue and one side of their gym was green and everybody was just yelling.
Backstage I met Manny Pacquiao, he’s the town hero. I have to be honest, they made me feel even bigger than him at the moment. I talked to him and he invited me to his November fight, so if I have time and depending on if we have a day off, I might go see that. Oh, I also met Jet Li in Shanghai, can’t leave him out.
On top of everything else in Manila, I stayed at the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at – The Peninsula. I was in the mack daddy “El Presidente” suite and was like the Fresh Prince with Geoffrey – I had a live-in butler.
One more note on Manila, just so you guys can get a picture of what kind of people they are and how much they adore and love entertainers and the NBA. Think about this: If you’ve ever been to a Beyoncé concert, or anybody’s concert in the states really, if they sell out an arena it will be 20,000 fans. Last year in Beyoncé’s hometown, Houston, she pulled in 12,000 people to her show. D.C. was her biggest sell, she put 18,000 people in the seats. Meanwhile, she was in Manila for two days to do two concerts and she had 85,000 people, two nights straight.
She couldn’t even do it in the arena, she had to do it on the lawn. Like, “Everybody, y’all just get in the grass, I’m going to perform.”
That’s how the people are out there.
Dennis "D Source" Guillermo is a freelance sportswriter. You can contact him through e-mail at hoodartz@yahoo.com.
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Comments
nice... nice...nice article d'Source! Pinoy na pinoy! ayos! Swak na swak!
Wow! Good job dSource! Make us proud and good writeup on Pinoy basketball.
Mann enough talk. basketbol na!
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yeah, basketball, I always go to the park here in Milan from spring to summer and Italians are always amaze on how we love the game so much, you can see small guys running the entire court, But if they are the one playing they just use the half court and 5 on 5!!! imagine that tall guys but lazy bastards :-)
Nice dSource. This reminds me of my childhood when the neighbors gather around sa kapitbahay who owns a television set (its name then) willing to share with the rest of us. Of course, aside from chess, basketball was the name of the game. Talk about endless parties! Then, there's the accompanying past time... Mahjong anyone?
Why do Filipinos love basketball so much is beyond me... Even electing a basketball star to the senate... too much media I think.
The only thing I know is that Philippines will never become a basketball superpower in Asia... even if they stuffed the team with Fil-Ams, Fil-Aust, Fil-Samoan, or Fil-whatever...
Meanwhile sports like boxing will always be relegated to backseat in funding...
ya man we love basketball but hate to say our asian neighbors like iran,lebanon,kuwait are on top now with china.hope someday i can see team pilipinas in the olympics
BASKETBALL HAD HEIGHT DIVISIONS...
WHATEVER, AS LONG AS YOU ENJOY YOUR TALENT, AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT HURT AND OFFEND YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING W/ FEAR OF GOD.
WE PLAY BASKETBALL THOUGH WE ARE LACK OF HEIGHT BUT WE ENJOY THAT, OUR PLACE HAS LIMITED IN SPACE AND BASKETBALL IS THE ONLY SPORT THAT CAN BE ENJOYED IN A LIMITED SPACE.
food, shirts, house, work, basketball. basic needs of filipinos.
yah ryt,basketball is part of life in every filipino...first time in hong kong for a job assignment and the first thing i did along with an office mate of mine on our rest day was to look for a basketball court and play against the hongkies...since birth im a SMB die hard fan by the way!!!
I understand that you have grown up here. The way you write speaks for itself. During younger years my mother would scold at me for refusing an errand. But when it comes to basketball under the screeming heat, it dosent matters.
the only way Pinoys can be at the olympic is to hire Gloria as head coach
Why do Filipino Love Basketball? SIMPLE: AMERICAN INFLUENCED ON FILIPINO ESPECIALLY DURING THE EARLY to mid Twentieth Century. Philippine became the colony of American 1902-1946!
Of course, basketball is the best - in Philippine, the only reason not to play is if you are not physically fit. There are leagues everywhere for every age group - in schools, town, and company. I agree with the author, if there is any 5'9" or smaller category - in the same way that boxing has weight division - Filipinos has a chance to dominate the league, the way MP is dominating his division.
Why not soccer huh! why of all sports it had to be basketball.
I don't get it. Karaoke in Philipines yeah surely I understand , but for basketball sorry man i just don't ge it? I mean when i go to Philippnes i feel like giant and I'm 6 feet and i see 4 foot 11 guys wo toss me the ball to play.
I escape lunch ,play basketball under the blistering sun. Got no money to buy food that is why. That is a true to life experience of a typical starving Pinoy same with Manny Pacquiao. Till age 38 I kept playing the game. I owe it to this game I did not have any major health illness. Basketball is Filipino poor' health insurance. It's like play is to stay healthy otherwise you got no helth insurance to show to the doctor, no admittance. I want Manny Pacquiao to run as President not in local elections. I'm sure health insurance for the poor will be among his priority.
The Filipinos should return to 1st sport they actually fell in love with, which is world football. We ruled Asia back in the day, one of the FORGOTTEN filipino sport legend was Paulino Alcantara, FC Barcelona's ALL TIME goal scorer. If you don't know who FC Barcelona is, just ask any fan of the sport and they'll tell you how great they are..
When the Americans colonized the islands kicked out the Spanish, then called us FLIPS which stood for fuc*in lil island people, knowing were short,introduced a game that they'll surely dominate coz of our height disadvantage, you see, it a plan to psyche us out and make us feel inferior.sadly we've been drinking the kool aid eversince. It is sad that the biggest sporting event is coming this summer: The World Cup and were not in it, compare to asian neighboring countries, tayo ang kulelat when it comes to world futbol a sport we used to dominate and a good chance to be a powerhouse again if we can support it as much as pinoys support basketball.
ALL YOU LITTLE MUD SQUIRTS ARE TO SHORT TO SHOOT HOOPS.
This damn article made me want to lace up my sneaks and play ball outside a in the middle of the night in a 20degree weather...lol...big ups to mah boi D!!...
when you visit Philippines you will love the country not because of the beauty of the country but because of the people living there (very hospitable and always smiling).
F_uckin basketball! And these crazy Americans. They brought a giant's game in the land of midgets! We cant even go to the Olympics anymore nor dominate in Asia. Philippines love basketball but our national team sucks in international tournaments... Aaaaaargh! ...I agree with you Filipino Cule. We should be giving importance to football, too. Just imagine if our basketball big guys opted to play football instead, we could be world beaters. We have a strong foundation in football thanks to our colonizers. And yes, I am a true-blue FC Barcelona supporter because of Paulino Alcantara. He may be forgotten in our country but not in Catalunya. I was in the FC Barcelona matches during the FIFA Club World Cup and I managed to interact with one FC Barcelona supporter from Catalunya. And again yes, they know who Paulino Alcantara was. :D
A giant's game in the land of midgets! Football is the best!
lolz... this ones a breather from all the pac-gayweather crap! pinoys are really light-hearted and would easily laugh at problems... if americans or those in the 1st world are in our shoes, they prolly have committed suicide amidst all the problems that come our way lolz...
friends yeah the filipino people love and likes to play basketball. I also loves to play basketball, I've already done a 102 consecutive free throws, during our free throws challenge with my friends yeah...........
some filipinos are racist. racist filipinos are abundant in pacland
who cares if we're not the best in the sport the important thing is Filipinos enjoy it.you don't need to be the very best to enjoy the sport.football is a good sport too but the problem with football is you can't play it anywhere like basketball.in basketball as long as there is a rim you can play it and in the philippines i think almost every barangay have a basketball court.
When James Naismith invented basketball the first ball that he used was a soccer ball. The rim is a peach basket.
@basketsoccer:
You're another imbecile who doesn't know what's right from left. Inutile!
Hey dSource, Great Article. The first time I went to the Philippines it was June 12,1985 that's right Independence Day. It was only my first week I noticed this insatiable appetite that Filipinos had for basketball, I am 73 inches tall, my buddy Ben was 78 inches tall and you guessed it everywhere we went, "Hey JOE, want to play some HOOPS?" We were called out from Baguio to Cebu to Butuuan to Polomolok to General Santos City. Our size didn't intimidate anyone, in fact it did the opposite, it invited the challenge. From that day to this one, I will never ever forget the loug slapping sound of Flip Flops going up and down the court. One funny side note, When we stayed in Iligan,I ate at the BIG DIPPER every night and each time we came in the Manager would put in the Jones Cup where Team Philippines beat us Americans. Sorry dSOurce you took me down memory lane, Basketball and Filipinos will do that to you.
Basketball makes the difference for Pacquiao compared to other boxers. The footwork, pivoting and the elusiveness of Pacquiao are products of basketball, which he uses for his advantage.
kasi ang mga negosyante ayaw isponsoran ang mga ibang sports. sa tv palang may nba, pba, uaap, ncaa, at kung anu ano pa. sa ncaa at uaap matalo na sa ibang sports kahit sa lahat na wag lang sa basketball. tapos ang isa pang malaking kalokohan ay yung i require ng mga guru sa studyante ang pagpapanuod. isang malaking kagaguhan, katangahan. sa dyaryo, ganun din. ang mga tinamaang lintik na mga publisher o manunulat, basketbol lang ang alam ilathala. di ko nilalahat pero ganun karamihan. paano kasi nandun ang pera pera pera. kasi yun din ang binabasa. di ko rin sila masisisi kasi yun din ang ikinabubuhay nila. sino nga ba ang magbabasa ng tungkol s mma n ginanap sa pinas. o ky s isang magaling na skateboarder na 16 years old palang. dahil s malungkot n pangyayaring yan hindi nabibigyan ng karangalan s international competition gaya ng olympics. dun napupunta ang pera s palakasan na di para sa atin. kung punching bag lng sn ang ns bawat kanto ng klsada, madaming pacquiao n sn ngayon s atin
no wonder our economy is at its lowest because we don't even know how to choose our own sport
di naman masama maglaro ng basketball pero hanggang di magbabago o mabawasan ang grabeng pagkahumaling natin dito, patuloy na maglulustay ng pera ang gobyerno natin at mga bobong negosyante na sana ay igugol na lang sa pambili ng boxing shorts na susuotin ng mga pambansang atleta natin sa mga competition nang hindi na sila naghihiraman
kaya mga kababayan ko magisin na, magsuot ng gloves, maglaro ng futbol, laruin ang skateboard, magbike sumali sa mga palakasang tinitimbang at marami pang iba. tama na basketball
Basketball is too widely overhyped in the Philippines. As a leisure sport it is excellent. However, this sport does not generally suite a typical Filipino physique and actually disadvantages them in international competitions against taller opponents. The Philippines should rather select sports wherein height is not a handicap. Boxing is a good example and likewise football.
i remember in the 90's so many filipino were playing basketball here in the states and even when i went to the philippines there was basketball courts everywhere and in every corner.. i remember saying to myself the first asian in the NBA will be a filipino.. well.. fastforward to the future it wasn't to be.. have no idea why it turned out that way.
Well good point on the soccer thing... but the reason why pinoys don't like it is because its too damn boring...it takes a long time to play... we love basketball for the same reason we love Pacman..its fast and its full of action.. Go Ginebra Gin Kings!!!
Who watch basketball today? any? id rather watch mma & foreign boxing match with good quality fighters. most definitely with filipinos on the cards
@foalan Iron fist, Soccer/Football boring? I guess billions of people around the world that will be watching the World Cup got it all wrong then, big football clubs arounds the worlds spends billions on the sport of football coz its boring? You probably don't know a damn thing about the sport and never played it..your probably one of those pinoy midgets dreaming he can dunk a basketball and wishing he's a tall Cano with coz inferiority complex..Learn something about football before you knock it.
i stopped watching pba when true great filipino players were gone in the league like atoy, caidic, and jolas.
All this time basketball have been popular in the Philippines, yet still we haven't produce a player good enough to play in the NBA. Philippines did produce a legend in a sport bigger and more popular than basketball: Football/Soccer, his name is Paulino Alcantara too bad his a forgotten hero. What a damn shame the Americans brainwashed us good, he sold us a sport where a tall persons like them will always have the advantage, tayo naman mga ulol trying hard parin after all these years..We should start playing world football again.
e si marlou aquino nga ang ganda nga ng height para sa sentro saksakan naman ng bagal, tapos papano sya makikipagbanggaan kina shaq o neil? si jerry codinera ni hindi nga makapagdribol sa harap ng opponent at lalong di marunong mag lay-up. pag all alone sya siguradong jump shot sa point blank range tapos boarding. at etong mga klas ng basketball players ang talaga namang hinahangaan ng mga pinoy. nakakawalang gana ang basketball dito sa pilipinas ngayon walang kwenta at malayong malayo sa panahon ng toyota crispa
To all Philippine-basketball haters, too sad that you would only appreciate this if the country will only win in international competitions. Well, I can tell you that basketball in the Philippines is here to stay (although, I have to admit that PBA of today sucks hard)!
If I would mention one reason is that, and another poster has already said this, basketball does not require big space. As long as you have the basketball rim and a small space, basketball is alive. And to add from this, you would only require 1 ball as equipment. Too bad, football can only be enjoyed in schools and universities (and not at home)!
Football is slowly but surely taking place in phil sports arena. Lots of colleges and universities are into football competition now. The popularity is slowly gaining it's share.
Maybe in the future football league will replace basketball in the philippines as the most popular sports.
Basketball will stay as the No.1 sport in the Philippines. Would be nice if nutrition catches up there and we get more taller players cause Filipinos can play ball; it's most are shorter than American players. Don't get the Philippines into football, that is waste of space and time. Football is an American sport. I love it but that is something that will remain uniquely American.
I think more Filipinos should also try boxing and baseball. There is greater chance of success in these sports and it's easier to set up; even for basketball.
I think we should also play soccer, the Filipino body structure is very suited to the game. Don't forget that one of the greatest scorer for the Spanish team FCBarcelano was Filipino Paulino Alcantara
www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/club/historia/jugadors_de_llegenda/alcantara.html
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