Ateneo-La Salle. This was the created event of the year, it succeeded monstrously for the UAAP and ABS-CBN. Throughout history, this will go overboard as the celebration that never ended. Ateneo de Manila’s Blue Eagles ended fourteen years of frustration in the sweetest way possible, ending the four-year title reign of its most intense rival, De La Salle University. Although Ateneo may have reaped disproportionately larger accolades, one thing they cannot deny is that this would not have been the tremendous triumph it was without the Green Archers. For La Salle, the challenge of rebuilding in the face of the disasters that struck after, and the lingering smell of doubt about their players will impact their basketball program for years to come.
The Death of the MBA. The most devastating event to hit professional basketball other than the Senate Fil-Am investigation and the debacle in Busan. The Metropolitan Basketball Association, launched in 1998, was the hope of hundreds of families to be involved in basketball while maintaining their strong ties. It was a palpable threat to the PBA in its first season, although that was not really the intended direction. What really happened? Two words: financial mismanagement. The league developed the market for the provinces, then promptly disappeared under a hazy cloud of lack of information. Today, what one senses when one talks about the MBA is the abiding disappointment and resentment that team owners, players and even some board members feel about being left in the dark as to the eventual demise of their dream.
Reb Bull repeats. It is very rare that an infant franchise makes a dent in the PBA’s pantheon of champions. But the rapid ascension of Batang Red Bull to the league’s elite is a testament to the single-mindedness of its management and coaching staff. It is also a tribute to their recruitment to a veritable cast of non-superstars, and sensational individual talent. There were bumps along the way, but this sophomore schooled itself in winning ways fast, and set the tone for other teams.
The RP team. Never did the formation of a national squad face so much controversy and so many obstacles. From the hurt heart that sidelined its coach, to the brickbats thrown at its players, to the uproar regarding its performance, never has a team faced so many challenges, and paid so high a price. Despite the fact that they were volunteers drafted into service, the players were treated quite harshly by the public, as if their mere aggrupation was guarantee of a gold medal. These men sweated and toiled for a full year, many risking their careers and reputations for a dubious shot at China, and performed admirably. Ironically and unfairly, what they may most be remembered for are bungled free throws by their best free throw shooter when they needed it most.
The Senate investigation. And it’s about time. This column has already detailed a few of the falsities some players have been accused of. Simply put, Sen. Robert Barbers has assured that the Committee on Games, Amusements and Sports will not rest until it has made an example of somebody. The toughest thing is not really proving somebody is a fake Fil-Am. it is resisting the strong-arming ot sympathetic government officials or agencies who want these people in the PBA. Where will all these machinations lead? It will be hard to tell, since there is an election fast approaching, and politics being the quagmire it is in, attention may soon be turned towards the next hot issue of the day. Hopefully, that does not happen.
PBA Players Association resurrects. The impending witch hunt for fake Fil-foreigners, the shrinking of the league maximum salary, and curiosity about the state of some P 14 million in the PBA Players’ trust fund have prompted senior statesmen like Jojo Lastimosa to come out in the open and challenge PBA authorities to show greater transparency. Will they succeed? Will the hand that feeds them fight back after being bitten? This issue may perhaps bear watching more than others.
The Champions League is born. You’ve got to hand it to Champions League chairman Joe Lipa. Despite the logistical nightmare in setting up a tournament of this complexity, and the problems in getting venues, he still pulled it off. Although the tournament revealed how one-sided the competition was, there were still surprises, and the league showed that it can be done. Kudos to all involved, and now teams in the south have something to aim for.
The UV Green Lancers. You may not have heard of them, but the University of the Visayas Green Lancers are the powerhous of the south. The Green Lancers are the national and Asian Adidas Streetball Challenge champions, have won the CESSAF championship in Cebu, and made the semifinals of the Champions’ Cup, the only non-UAAP team to make it that far. Coached by former PBA All-Stars Elmer Cabahug and Al Solis, these boys have shown what technology transfer and hard work can do. And they will be back, count on it.
The RP Youth Team. you’d have to feel sorry for the RP Youth team. They’re training at 5 a.m. because they have to be at school, play for the country, and get attacked when they don’t win. Their SEABA stint was muddled up by being rescheduled to July, thus ensuring the loss of several key players to the UAAP and NCAA. Yet, through it all, they endured being plastered by PBL teams, heavy homework,and tough working conditions. Let’s hope it all pays off for them.
Yao Ming. A media sensation despite taking things slow. The Chinese center stirred the biggest untapped market in basketball, and left many of us wondering why a Filipino hasn’t made it into the NBA. And perhaps the next most painful question is, if not now, when?