Is The Olympic Dream At Hand For Philippine Basketball?

Let’s talk sports. The 12-man Philippine basketball team is set to play at the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship tournament starting at 5:00 P.M this day, tousling with the much improved team from Iran. Thus, the so-called Philippine Olympic quest to send a basketball team to Beijing next year begins.

We have always known how China and South Korea had been lording basketball in the Asia region and generally, our team have played so laggardly against their tall and more agile players, losing by an average of 20 points. 20 points is huge in basketball and losing that much is often embarrassing.

But now, it is a little surprising to see a Philippine team that is not only so quick with their court movements but also can shoot from long-range as often as a winning team wants. Their performance in the recently-held William Jones Cup in Taipei had been surprising to say the least as they exhibited newly-found swiftness and accuracy from the field and defeating South Korea in the process, the very team that had caused a major heartbreak when we lose to them upon a late shot in the dying seconds in Busan Asian Games of 2002. Maybe, our quest of establishing a stronger presence in the basketball scene in Asia has improved by leaps and bounds.

Only there is an issue with the composition of this new Philippine basketball team as it is membered heavily by fil-am players like Danny Seigle, the very young Gabe Norwood, PBA Rookie of the Year Kelly Williams, Mike Pennisi and Asi Taulava. Read this very lively discussion in Boxing Scene. Ang tanong, dyahe ba na magpapadala tayo ng isang team na me halong fil-americans sa Tokushima?
In my mind, it wouldn’t be so much of an issue. If other Asian teams have a problem with a Philippine team with Filipino Americans on the roster, then they should have no business in trying to qualify for the Olympics or the world championship where real Americans such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan would be playing.

The only issue in my mind this time is the usual lack of height of the Philippine basketball players, despite the inclusion of meztisos from America, where in the game of basketball would still be might for a shorter player, even if he can shoot at will, won’t hit even the net with a hulking opponent putting up a huge umbrella-like defense in front of him.

But the Olympics would always be there or the world championships. If not now, there’d be always a next time and with a quicker team and more fluid offense, hope would always be high.