The Basketball Show - THE GAME OF MY LIFE by Bill Velasco

A new breakthrough in Philippine sports television will be launched on Thursday, at 10:30 p.m. over RPN 9. It will be the first magazine show to comprehensively tackle basketball all over the Philippines.

The Basketball Show is part of the network’s thrust to further its sports programming and increase its coverage of sports news. The program’s initial episode will set the tone for its run.

Basketball is undeniably the country’s passion, as proven by the simultaneous opening of the MBA 2001 season and PBA Commissioner’s Cup this weekend. Meanwhile, the PBI reaches the climax of its ongoing tournament, and will give way for the opening of both the UAAP and NCAA men’s basketball tournaments. There are basketball leagues in practically every barangay in the archipelago, and yet, there has never been one program to unify the basketball community. Basketball, both in terms of broadcasting and internal politics, has been fractured, at best.

Not anymore.

In a rare television interview, Eric Menk expresses his frustration at not having been able to play for ten months. On the other side of the coin, the show’s staff interviewed Atty. Tina Rilloraza of the Department of Justice to get their side of the issue. Menk is almost at the breaking point and may not stay beyond this year regardless of the outcome of his citizenship problem.

The MBA, meanwhile, has had close to a dozen tune-up games as of this writing. The Basketball Show will summarize the pre-season, and size up all the teams that have beefed up in preparation for the wars ahead. Will the Southern Conference teams finally go all the way to the national championship? You’ll get a first look.

Most surveys about basketball show that fans have always wanted to know more about their favorite players off the court, particularly about the hardships they faced in their ascent to the pinnacle of their professions, and even their tastes in food, movies and other things. The Basketball Show also delves into this side of the country’s most recognized cagers.

Have you ever heard of a basketball league that mixes up all its players every season? Well, you’ll find out who does that on Thursday.

In other parts of the show, the country’s best players also explain how they developed particular skills. In the maiden edition, Welcoat’s Renren Ritualo gives the finer points of three-point shooting. Speaking of great shooters, the program also sought out Atoy Co, the first player to score 5,000 and 10,000 points in PBA history, and had a great time reminiscing.

Romel Adducul also shared his thoughts and feelings, describing his hardships as a youth in Tuguegarao, his struggles when he first came to Manila and had no place to live, and the slow, hard climb to the top of his profession. He is the only Filipino basketball player ever invited to the ABC All-Star Game the last four years.

There are still other components to The Basketball Show, and the producers promise to seek out hardcourt action wherever it may be. The program’s tagline says it all:

"We’re all on the same team."