by Jose Miguel Villanueva
My uncle once told me that basketball is one of the simplest sports out there, since it only requires a ring, a court, and a ball. You don’t have to be rich to play the game. You can wear any kind of garments and footwear, as long as you can move conveniently and comfortably.
I’ve always considered basketball as one of the greatest gifts the Americans have given us during their colonization of the Philippines, since its founding by Dr. James Naismith in the early 1890’s that began as an indoor game of shoot-in-hoops introduced to the YMCA.
Wherever we go, basketball is there. You get to see a lot of basketball court. Barangays have it, where they conduct ligas during the early months of the year. Schools and universities have it, whether it be indoor or outdoor. We watch collegiate teams clash against each other through tournaments like the UAAP and NCAA. There are guys -even younger boys soon to hit teenage years- in their jerseys and expensive Nike rubber shoes. Even in pop culture, the “game of the giants” is present. There are animes like Slam Dunk and Kuroko no Basket, often dubbed in local language, which are big hits among the youth. Former ADMU Eagle Chris Tiu has made it to the TV hosting career because of basketball.
Wherever we go, basketball is there. You get to see a lot of basketball court. Barangays have it, where they conduct ligas during the early months of the year. Schools and universities have it, whether it be indoor or outdoor. We watch collegiate teams clash against each other through tournaments like the UAAP and NCAA. There are guys -even younger boys soon to hit teenage years- in their jerseys and expensive Nike rubber shoes. Even in pop culture, the “game of the giants” is present. There are animes like Slam Dunk and Kuroko no Basket, often dubbed in local language, which are big hits among the youth. Former ADMU Eagle Chris Tiu has made it to the TV hosting career because of basketball.
Basketball in the Philippines has produced numerous names in the limelight with the likes of Samboy Lim, Alvin Patrimonio, Jimmy Alapag, Marc Pingris, Marc Barroca, James Yap, and Terrence Romeo who is currently making waves in the 2015 FIBA Asia Tournament with his swift crossover skills.
There are valuable lessons that can be learned from this game. First of all and the most important is the value of teamwork. Basketball is a game of “We”, not “I.” One player doesn’t have to possess the ball for himself for quite a long time. The sport values the coordination and participation of every individual inside the court.
In addition, basketball teaches us how to be crafty in every situation. Which implies that we need diskarte to overcome all the challenges that strike us. As the song “One Hit Combo” suggests, “Walang nakaharang na ‘di kayang lampasan.”
Third, everyone inside the court is equal. There is no age limit in this game, just like in every other sports you can think of. There should always be equality among us people, regardless of our class, gender or outside features.
Perhaps everyone of us has heard the phrase, “Bilog ang bola.” There have been numerous matches wherein a team is on the losing situation, being trampled by the opposite side during the early quarters, only to make a thrilling escape over that leading team, generating an ear-splitting roar of excitement among the crowd inside the venue. The phrase can be applied to our lives as well. You can’t predict what will happen next. We are already convinced about the decisions we’ve made for ourselves only to find out that there’s still something missing. There will always be unexpected twists that will occur in our lifetime.
In addition, basketball teaches us how to be crafty in every situation. Which implies that we need diskarte to overcome all the challenges that strike us. As the song “One Hit Combo” suggests, “Walang nakaharang na ‘di kayang lampasan.”
Third, everyone inside the court is equal. There is no age limit in this game, just like in every other sports you can think of. There should always be equality among us people, regardless of our class, gender or outside features.
Perhaps everyone of us has heard the phrase, “Bilog ang bola.” There have been numerous matches wherein a team is on the losing situation, being trampled by the opposite side during the early quarters, only to make a thrilling escape over that leading team, generating an ear-splitting roar of excitement among the crowd inside the venue. The phrase can be applied to our lives as well. You can’t predict what will happen next. We are already convinced about the decisions we’ve made for ourselves only to find out that there’s still something missing. There will always be unexpected twists that will occur in our lifetime.
The Filipinos passion for basketball can never be outmatched by any foreigners around the globe. Take for example, several weeks ago, I encountered this meme on Facebook wherein two kids were trying to hoist the ball from an estero. This goes to show that Filipinos will do anything for the sake of this sport.
The photo above, taken after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in Tacloban, Philippines last Novermber 2013, shows teenagers playing in front of a wrecked neighborhood. Even NBA star Lebron James took notice of the photo and posted it on Instagram captioned, “One of the best photos taken in a long time.” It seems that these youth enjoy what they are doing but after some research, I realized that they decided to play instead amid the ruins to escape the misery of having lost their homes. For them, basketball is a stress reliever.
Basketball will always be loyal to the hearts of every Filipinos. It doesn’t matter whether you can play the game and its rules or not. Being a fan is enough. The game encourages sportsmanship and unity among its players. The Filipinos’ love for the sport has brought the Philippines to the map of competitive basketball nations that should be watched out for, as the nation is climbing up all the way to the quarterfinals in a recent victory against its long-time rival, Iran.
Last August, I watched in our television as the Philippines lost its bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup against China. I get it. China has all the adequate infrastructures and advanced mode of transportations which will benefit the athletes. But, there is one thing that the Chinese doesn’t have: passion.
The Filipinos will always be the best when it comes to basketball.
Basketball will always be loyal to the hearts of every Filipinos. It doesn’t matter whether you can play the game and its rules or not. Being a fan is enough. The game encourages sportsmanship and unity among its players. The Filipinos’ love for the sport has brought the Philippines to the map of competitive basketball nations that should be watched out for, as the nation is climbing up all the way to the quarterfinals in a recent victory against its long-time rival, Iran.
Last August, I watched in our television as the Philippines lost its bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup against China. I get it. China has all the adequate infrastructures and advanced mode of transportations which will benefit the athletes. But, there is one thing that the Chinese doesn’t have: passion.
The Filipinos will always be the best when it comes to basketball.