to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy… and to laugh along the way
On 2 July 2018, in a match that was part of the 2019 Basketball World Cup Asian qualification process, the Philippines would be involved in a huge brawl against a heftier Australian national team. The game was held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, with Australia leading comfortably 89-53 with a minute left in the 3rd quarter, when the free-for-all ensued. Nine Gilas players and 4 Aussies were ejected as a result of the brawl.
In 1975, the Philippine Basketball Association was born, founded by 9 teams that bolted the MICAA in a bold move, leaving the BAP and saying goodbye to their amateur days. The PBA would become the first professional basketball league in Asia, and the second oldest in the world, next only to the NBA.
The storied rivalry between Yco and Ysmael Steel was what mainly stoked the fires of cage fandom in the Philippines in the mid-60s. Long before the well-renowned Crispa- Toyota duel, it was Yco and Ysmael at centerstage.
In the best-ever finish by an Asian country in the international basketball arena, the Philippines captured the bronze medal in the 2nd FIBA World Championship held in Brazil in 1954. Led by our dynamic duo of Mumar and Caloy Loyzaga, the Philippines surprised the heftier American and European teams with a dazzling display of speed and skill in basketball.
The short format has been interesting but brutal for the likes of the record-setting Cleveland Cavs (21-3) and the defending champs Boston Celtics (19-4). Despite their league-leading numbers in the regular season, one miscue was all it took to take them out of contention. Gone too were some of the games biggest stars in Lebron James, Kevin Durant, NIkola Jokic and Joel Embiid. My picks to go to the semis next week: it will be the veterans from the Knicks and the Bucks in the east; while the upstarts in the Mavs and the Rockets will do battle in the west.
The NBA Cup is a mini-tournament held within the ongoing NBA season. It is on its 2nd iteration, after a very successful 1st edition last year which was eventually won by the Los Angeles Lakers over the Indiana Pacers. That pioneer edition, then called the NBA In-Season Tournament, has since been renamed into the Emirates NBA Cup, after its top sponsor.
Color My World 