I was really hoping that Kiwi basketball coaches and team owners would be able to have a first-hand look at some of our Gilas boys who might be scouted to play in the NZ NBL. A sizeable Pinoy crowd filled the Eventfinda Stadium to witness the Gilas Pilipinas vs. NZ Tall Blacks 2nd match-up for the FIBA World Cup Asia Qualifier. These two teams met earlier this year in Manila. The Tall Blacks won that match 88-63. I saw mates from Hamilton and other parts of the North Island, as well as some who traveled all the way from Wellington, to watch the game.
The Gilas boys came out in fighting form ending with a 23-13 first quarter. But the Tall Blacks didn’t disappoint the hometown crowd as they slowly and steadily surged ahead: half-time was 47-21 and the 3rd quarter was 73-43. I overhead some Ka-barangays commenting that what they’re seeing was a display of college basketball, from the way the Pinoys were playing. Well most of them are indeed fresh out of the collegiate circuit. I could only think of Dwight Ramos and Kiefer Ravena as the ones with enough international experience. The ice-cold Gilas boys (literally since we’re right in the middle of winter here, plus the fact that points from the field weren’t easily converted) absorbed a 46-point rout. The Tall Blacks eventually bludgeoned Gilas Pilipinas 106-60. I already anticipated the loss but not that huge one.
This debacle from the Tall Blacks makes me wonder: the Philippines has a population of 110-million and then add the nearly 10.2-million Filipinos overseas in more than 200 destination countries and territories; surely a great basketball team could be formed, right? Aotearoa New Zealand with a 5-million population and basketball not even a high-performance sports could produce and maintain the Tall Blacks ranked 27 compared to the Gilas rank of 34. How come New Zealand can do it while the Philippines hasn’t really moved forward with it’s basketball programme? For short people like us who love basketball, perhaps it’s time to shift our love to something else. Every time we go on the world stage, we get beaten. Indonesia already beat us just recently.
Every boys dream is to play in the NBA. And for some boys coming from the provinces and towns, the dream is to play in the PBA and in the process earn a decent means of living for the family and the future. They look at basketball as the way, an entry-point to get their dreams. We need our big boys to play for the country. If they don’t, as they feel it’s more important to play for the big bucks, we can say adios with our chances of moving up the FIBA rankings. Height is might in basketball. If we don’t have it, then we won’t get it, simple as that.