My Reflections on the FIBA Asia (Part 2)

COACH RAJKO

We are very grateful and lucky to have Coach Rajko. There is no question that the new 'system' he has introduced to Philippine basketball has been effective both offensively and defensively, and it suits the international game. Of course, nobody is perfect but Coach Rajko is an extremely clever guy. Respected national coaches from other teams would go up to me and tell me how lucky we are to have Rajko as our coach. And more than the X and O's that he has taught us, for me, his biggest contribution is the non-negotiable values that he instills upon the team. "Work as hard and as HONEST as you can!" Those are his famous words. Even if he seldom smiles, I suppose this is the reason why he is so loved by the Filipino fans. It's tough to be a coach, there are many other 'experts' especially when you lose a game. But I cannot forget what he told us, "Even if I will be digging my own grave, I will continue to do what I believe is the right thing to do!" That's why we players have utmost respect for the guy.

What got me more emotional after the Korea game was when Coach started saying goodbye to the team and to the Philippines in the locker room. I remember in our first team building session 2 years ago, we played a game where each team member has to give one chip to just one person he trusts the most in the team. Many of us gave our chips to Coach Rajko. Coach Rajko gave me his chip. I cannot forget that. And now I feel like I've let him down.

For bringing Philippine basketball to another level, we must give utmost appreciation to Coach Rajko. And we have to admit, sometimes he is even 'more Filipino' than some of us through his sacrifice and dedication towards the improvement of Philippine basketball. At this moment, his status is uncertain but he already has bigger offers internationally and he will not have problems finding another job. That's for sure. Wherever he goes next, I wish him well. I think what he needs to do is to rest and take care of his health first and foremost.

ALL IN GOD'S PLAN

Throughout the tournament, I prayed the rosary every night. I've been reading a book of homilies (I'll talk about it in another entry). I spoke to God more than I usually do because I have more idle time when I'm abroad, which should not be the case though. We should make an effort to pray and talk to God as much as we can despite our busy schedules. After the loss, again I prayed for answers.

I remember what Jimmy (Alapag) told me after the game when I was feeling bad, "Making it to the final 4 is a huge step already. We cannot just expect to win the Gold overnight. It's a step by step process."

Then I thought about they way we lost to Korea, it was an unreal game! Like a divine hand had something to do with it. God is telling us something. Despite being unlucky in the last two games, He showed us throughout the tournament that we are very competitive with all the teams who participated, including the top teams that finished ahead of us. I believe it is His way of telling us that "you are a good team, but it is not your time yet. You must first fine tune and resolve all your divisions and differences! " God is a good God and He has a purpose for everything. It just wasn't meant to be yet.

I'm very very thankful to be given this rare opportunity to represent the country for the past 2+ years! It's truly a big big honor! It's both fun and painful but all worth it!

I'd also like to honor my teammates who have sacrificed tremendously for the country and poured their hearts out during the games, whether or not there's a lot at stake. It's been so much fun playing with some of the best players in the country, not to mention great guys as well. It's sad that we will have to part ways after years of practicing, traveling & competing in tough games together but I know they will make wonders for their respective teams in the PBA and I wish them all the best!

I believe in destiny, but for now, making it to the London Olympics wasn't meant to be. Sooner or later, I strongly believe that the Philippines will regain its top spot in Asian basketball. We saw how close we are. We just got to keep working towards that goal, together! I hope I will still be actively playing when that happens. But for now, life must go on and we have to keep getting better. 2013 is not so far away.

Once again, a super big THANK YOU to all of you for your unwavering love and support for the team!! You certainly keep us inspired! GO PILIPINAS! :)

Chris

P.S. After the heartbreaking loss to Korea, I bumped into Coach Baldwin of Jordan in the hotel lobby. He gave me a big hug and he said such simple yet wonderful words that hit the spot and I'd like to share it to you guys because it can be applied to all. He said "This is just the first of many more tougher games you will experience in life. Just remember to be the best player that you can be. More importantly, be the best person that you can be. Hold on to those two things and you will be fine."

My Reflections on the FIBA Asia (Part 1)

It's so ironic how I wrote about 'grabbing opportunities that come your way' in one of my recent posts. We just missed an opportunity of a lifetime for Philippine basketball. Our recent 4th place finish in the FIBA Asia, which was held in Wuhan China, drew mixed emotions. On one hand, it was a great success because the team was able to make it to the Final 4 quite convincingly after a series of victories against UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Japan and Syria in the elimination round and against Chinese Taipei in the Quarterfinals. Basketball experts say the top 4 finish hasn't been done in 20 something years and probably the best finish since the emergence of the middle eastern nations. But after the quarterfinals, horror began!

I talked about painful losses, but the wounds of this one will take a lifetime to heal. I thought I'd somehow get used to dealing with lost games/tournaments but this one is just the most painful and most difficult.

JORDAN

The loss against Jordan in the semifinals was tough and painful, but nothing compared to the one against Korea. Jordan is a tall, experienced and skilled team, not to mention they have Coach Baldwin whom I truly respect not only because of his ingenuity and professionalism inside the hardcourt but also his kind, humble and friendly personality off the court. Those who closely followed the FIBA Asia would know that Iran (ranked #1 in the QF) was the clear favorite to make it to the finals, and we knew that if we can get pass Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals, that we would have to face a huge road block , which is Iran. Having included Kazemi in their lineup, Iran has never fielded a stronger team. But guess what, they were upset by Jordan in the quarterfinals. When we heard this, we suddenly saw a crack in the door leading up to the Olympics. This was because we knew we would match up better with Jordan than Iran and that we've defeated them several times in prior games including that in the elims.

Unfortunately, the Jordanians were very focused and they did their scouting homework excellently , causing us to lose our offensive fluidity, as a result of their switching man-zone defenses. I will not expound on the details anymore. Basically, they deserved to win that game.

KOREA

In the game against Korea for the bronze medal, it was pretty much a won game for us until the dying minutes of the 4th quarter where Korea got their shooting confidence. One layup or a pair of free throws would have put our lead up to 12 or 14 points coming into the last 5 minutes of the game and that would have been enough to put the Koreans away. But no, instead, they brought the lead down to single digits and it gave them hope until they finally found their shooting stroke and ended up winning by 2 points! That shocking game for us will be recorded as one of the greatest comebacks in the Korean history books.

What makes it more painful, was that we had everything going our way. From the body language of both teams at the beginning of the game, our players were more energetic, motivated and clearly wanted the win more. Korea had an 8pm game the night before and they look very tired. Our defense made them miss a lot of shots throughout the game, but they also missed 3 or 4 point blank layups in the 1st quarter. Some of their key players were even injured. Everything was going right for us until the unexpected happened! We were stunned!

MISSED A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

One of the main reasons why I felt some regret is because we missed a golden chance to place ourselves in the history books by at least bringing home a medal for the country. That hasn't been done in decades, not even by some of our basketball idols. We had it in the palm of our hands but somehow it slipped away.

I have to admit that the Pinoy fans have been extremely supportive and appreciative of the result but still there's that feeling of disappointment that we could have made them even more proud, knowing that the Philippines is still a basketball-crazy nation! It was so close. We've been receiving very supportive and appreciative messages on twitter, and since we got back, right when we stepped off the plane or wherever I go, people would go up to me and congratulate me for a job well done but there's always that expression of 'Sayang!' whether explicitly said or not. You can see it through their faces.

TO BELIEVE AND TO INSPIRE

But more than all that, the main reason why I felt disappointed not winning the Gold or any medal at that is because I wanted the Gilas team to prove something to the nation. Something that can truly inspire us to dream beyond our imagination. From the very beginning, only a handful of people believed in the program. Many people laughed when we said we were aiming for the Olympics. Some said that the Philippines should forget about basketball and focus on other sports since basketball is a big man's game and we Filipinos obviously don't have the height. But this gave us motivation, the reason why we wanted to succeed so badly is not for any personal glory but because we wanted to inspire the millions of Filipinos that tasks like this that seem impossible can be achieved despite the odds. We, Pinoys are often underdogs. We live in deep poverty, but if we first BELIEVE, then through extreme hard work, cooperation, sacrifice and dedication, nothing is impossible!

Gilas Pilipinas in the PBA

It's always difficult to sleep after losing a game because of all these random thoughts and undesirable memories of the game, more so being eliminated from a possible finals appearance. And since many of you requested, I decided to just blog.

First, I'd like to thank all those who shared their very positive comments on my previous blog entry entitled 'A Moment of Conversion'. It's been a while since i received so many comments, partly I guess because most chose to send me a message through twitter. It would be great if you can post your comments through this blogspot so that others may read them as well. This can be part of your apostolate :)

Now , let's move on to basketball... (Warning: Do not continue reading if you are not a Gilas, Ginebra or Philippine basketball fan)

I never thought I would again feel the similar pain from a loss experienced during my UAAP days playing for Ateneo, but apparently I am wrong. The 3 most painful defeats in my post-college career with the National Team Gilas Pilipinas are the 2010 Dubai International (losing to Lebanon in the semis), 2010 Asian Games (bowing out in the quarters to Korea) and to my surprise , this 2011 PBA Commissioners Cup (to Ginebra in Game 4).

I'm sure many of you might be surprised as well, thinking that Gilas is only a guest team in the tournament and this is only a domestic commercial tournament. True... but I guess the primary reason is because we wanted to win so bad and we knew we could have done so if we played better and more consistently down the stretch, especially in the semis. And for me personally, I may never get another chance to win a PBA Championship.

Why did we want to win so bad? Of course there's always that competitive spirit in us to be the best team out there. But really, we wanted to earn the support and approval of the entire basketball community and Filipino basketball fans that Gilas is worthy indeed to represent our country in the FIBA tournaments. Actually, some experts tell us that we've overachieved already, but honestly, I beg to disagree because I know what the team is really capable of doing.

We had a great run in the eliminations , with a record of 7-2 , finishing top 2 and earning the outright semis berth. Both losses were in overtime and lacking in manpower. 1 more win could have changed the story, but that's done.


Semifinals vs Ginebra

Unfortunately in the semis, we had to face a very formidable team with a good mix of veteran superstars, solid role players, an excellent import and a smart coaching staff. Not to mention that they have the biggest, most loyal set of supporters and that's where they draw their strength from. It was a very physical and rough series, no question. They made sure that we knew who the real veterans were inside the court. Their coaching staff knew exactly what they wanted to do, stay home with the wingmen and risk the outside shots from our big men. But anyway, I don't want to talk about the technical aspects too much. Who knows, we might face them again.

I haven't watched the replay of Game 4, but I remember we played well and had control of the game for around 27 minutes and led by as much as 15 points. Then all of a sudden, we didn't know what hit us. Poor defense, execution and rebounding led to easy fast break points and 3 pointers. In short, they played excellent and we didn't. This is when the loss in Game 1 will haunt you. We should have closed out that game better. It would have changed the complexion of the series.

But anyway, as the old wise men would say, learn from it! The PBA is our training ground in preparation for the ultimate goal for the Olympic qualifier this September in Wu Han, China. For sure, we have learned a lot of new tactics in our stint here in addition to being mentally tough and playing with a lot of poise when the games were getting 'heated'.


Thank You

I mentioned this through my twitter account, but once again I'd like to thank all Team Pilipinas supporters who followed and cheered for us in the game venues, at home or even in foreign countries via FB or livestreaming links! Through your words of encouragement & support via twitter or through other means, it is much easier to move on and keep fighting knowing that you're there behind us, win or lose! Sabi niyo nga, it's not always about winning. What's most important is that we display unselfishness, class and sportsmanship, while playing our HEARTS out! And... offer everything up to God, who is the source of all our talents & blessings (I think this beautiful reminder extends outside of sports and applies to everyone of us in whatever field)

To the PBA, a big thank you for this learning experience! But more importantly, thank you for bringing the National team closer to the Filipino people! Most of our games are abroad and not many Filipinos get to watch the team compete until now. In fact, I've noticed a significant increase in Gilas supporters in the venue and through the internet.

Rest assured, Coach Rajko, the coaching staff, the players, including the management, are all committed to continue improving through rigid training and international exposure in order to bring back the respect to Philippine basketball and give us more reason to become proud Pinoys!

Maraming Salamat ulit! Go Team Pilipinas! Go Pinoy!

Oh by the way, Happy Easter!!


Chris

P.S. We have a 3 day rest and then we report back to practice in preparation for the FIBA Asia Champions Cup (This is not yet the Olympic qualifier) which will be held in MANILA from May 28 to June 6 at the Ultra in Pasig. 10 teams from Asia will participate, mostly club teams composed of national players plus 2 imports. Sana sama-sama na tayong lahat sa tournament na ito (as promised by the Ginebra fans after the series, I'll keep that in mind :) )!

Jones Cup 2010

I just want to take this opportunity to thank all those who greeted me for my birthday either through this blog or through my twitter. I was in Taipei over my birthday for the Jones Cup for almost two weeks and did not have internet access there. Actually, we did have internet, just felt that $10 USD per 24 hours of use was not worth it.

To those who are not updated, Team Pilipinas finished 4th place in the Jones Cup behind Iran, Lebanon & Japan. We placed higher than Chinese Taipei, Chinese Taipei team B and Australian Crocs team. I felt we could have finished 2nd or 3rd but had a disastrous game against Japan, who played with former Phoenix Suns point guard Tabusen. They scouted us well and fatigue kicked in. We also weren't able to adjust to their defense and intensity right away. Although I am personally disappointed with our result, and i'm sure quite a number of Filipinos feel the same way, i felt we showed that we could compete against the powerhouses of Asia particularly Iran and Lebanon.

The Iranian national team played without Hedadi and Afagh but their superstar Samad Nikkah Bahrami took over w/ 27 pts, 8 rebs and 8 assts. The Lebanon national team was complete (plus naturalized Jackson Vroman) and had a very balanced lineup, except for Fadi El Khatib, who said himself that he will not play for the national team. We were up by as much as 15 points until their shooters started to get hot.

Overall, i believe the Jones Cup was a very fruitful experience for both coaches and players and it allowed us to gauge our level and the standards of the opposing teams. For now, we just have to continue to work extremely hard (and smart), gain more experience (through competitions) and plug the holes in the lineup that will best suit coach Rajko's system.

Thanks again to all those who've been supporting us, through both rainy days and sunny days! And please continue to pray for the team (the players, coaches, management, etc.) for strength, wisdom, courage, inspiration and a little luck! So that we may rightfully represent our beloved flag and make each Filipino proud to be Filipino through our performance on the court and even our behavior off the court. I know its a long shot, but someone's gotta believe.... and try!

Chris

P.S. Still no word if we're participating in the Stankovic Cup this August 7 in Beirut, Lebanon. Greg Slaughter and Rabeh Al Hussaini can't afford to miss class, while Chris Lutz and Marcus Douthit still don't have Filipino passports. Still weighing the sanctions if we back out. FYI, we are in the same bracket with Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan and Syria! Other bracket is Iran team B, India, Japan, Chinese Taipei and one more (which i forget at the moment). How lucky can we get.