In the Philippines, ball is life.
From the bright shining lights of the different world-class basketball stadiums, to literally any dark corner, street side, or even a bedroom, you will find a basketball hoop put up just so we can play the game.
You’ll see Filipinos of all ages walking around or commuting wearing their favorite players’ basketball jersey, local and international. Heck, I’m guilty of just walking around the mall and crossing over random strangers left to right. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.
With this deep, deep love for the game, Filipinos are proven to be one of the top NBA fans in the world. But there will always be that lingering feeling of longing, hoping and praying that we see someone – anyone – born and raised in the Philippines make it all the way to the NBA. The likes of what Yao Ming did for China.
So the main question now is: what will it take for us to see a Filipino in the world’s top basketball league? We have to think about the type of player can carry that “Philippine brand of basketball” in the NBA.
Let’s try to answer that query by asking more questions.
Since we started talking about Yao Ming earlier… does it mean height?
As we speak, we have a young kid named Kai Sotto, who’s probably the nation's best hope of a Filipino big setting foot on an NBA court. The kid is 7’2” and he has shown that he’s got a silky smooth shooting stroke. He’s got a feel for the game, capable of playing with a team's offensive and defensive philosophies. He has also proven his ability in blocking shots and being a defensive presence down low for any team.
What about athleticism?
It's no secret that athleticism (aside from height) is something we Filipinos are lacking. You see 7th-grade kids in the US with straight-up posters all over YouTube. But we do have somebody like Kobe Paras, who’s probably the closest to match the athleticism needed in the NBA. There was also Japeth Aguilar, who was crazy athletic. He gave the NBA dream a shot but fell short.
What about basketball IQ?
The Ravena brothers – Kiefer and Thirdy – were bred to play basketball. Kiefer, in my opinion, is the smartest basketball player I’ve played with as a teammate. If by basketball IQ alone, he is definitely NBA-ready. But he, too, fell short when he was trying to compete in the US.
Meanwhile, Thirdy is extremely athletic by Filipino standards but not quite enough for the NBA just yet. He’s playing well internationally right now in Japan and a lot of it is because of his basketball IQ mixed with his athleticism and skills.
What about skills?
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. had all the skills and made it the furthest. He was athletic enough, he could shoot the ball, had the handles and the size. But he still came up short after playing for the Texas Legends in the NBA G League (formerly known as D-League).
But what if it's not the player, but the training and competition?
There’s obviously a stark difference between playing here and abroad. Just watching the previously concluded NCAA tournament in the US last March, the level of basketball is bigger compared to the UAAP. Is it the difference in training in the States? How they grow up as kids? Maybe, it’s the kind of competition that they face against. Or maybe the quality of trainers and coaches teaching the kids is also a factor.
After asking the questions, it’s worth swinging at a hypothesis.
It may be a given that a healthy mix of all the valuable traits and external factors (height, athleticism, basketball IQ, skills, training, and competition) could produce a Jordan Clarkson of sorts worthy of the NBA. However, beyond a specific player, the Philippines is still behind in terms of the level of play needed to get into the NBA.
Think about it. The topmost percentage of players who have the combinations of all these attributes are in the NBA right now. And in my opinion, it's not something one is born with. If there’s one thing in common for all NBA players, it's the grassroots training that they had that really sets them apart -- something that the Philippines as a country is still learning at this point.
I think we have to accept that in order for us to make it to that level, the game has to be played differently, starting at the grassroots level of training and teaching the game. Maybe there’s an evolution of the “Philippine brand of basketball” that we haven’t even discovered yet.
No doubt that as we see now, the level of basketball being played in this country has changed and evolved a lot in the past few years. It's a great, great sign. More players are opening doors for opportunities to play internationally as a result. And evidently, the next batch of young players are quickly showing improvements in the game. Even if we're still miles away from the level necessary to be able to compete and play in the NBA, I am positive that with the way we're trending, it's achievable.
What do you guys think?
Is it a certain attribute that we need to stand out in? A mix of one or two? Or something that I haven’t mentioned? Do we have a chance? Will it happen soon or will it take a few more generations of Pinoy ballers to get there?
Even though we don’t fully know yet how a Filipino can make it to the NBA, I’m pretty confident that Filipinos do have what it takes to get there in the future.
