Lucky 7 for Gilas

If seven is a lucky number, a pot of gold could be at the end of the rainbow for Gilas Pilipinas in the national basketball team’s quest for a top three finish at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Manila on Aug. 1-11.

Seven seems to be a dominant number for Gilas. And numerologists view it as a sign of good things to come. In the Bible, there is frequent reference to seven – God rested and sanctified the seventh day of creation, Jericho’s walls fell on the seventh day after seven priests with seven trumpets circled the city seven times, Jesus’ death was marked by seven last words. There are seven days in a week and the seventh day signifies completion. Everyone marvels at the seven wonders of the ancient world. Rome is well-known for its seven hills and seven kings. James Bond is Agent 007 and Snow White was rescued by the seven dwarves. In the Harry Potter seven-book series, seven is portrayed as a powerfully magical number. Robert Jaworski, the Living Legend, wore the No. 7 jersey in a celebrated basketball career.

Here’s how seven is deeply ingrained in Gilas’ bid to qualify as one of three Asian countries to the FIBA World Championships in Spain next year.

27 – the edition of the FIBA-Asia Championships to be held here. The Philippines has captured five titles in 26 tournaments since 1960. The first was in the inaugural competition in Manila in 1960. Then came the championships in Taipei in 1963, Seoul in 1967, Manila in 1973 and Kuala Lumpur in 1985.

1973 – when Manila last hosted the FIBA-Asia (then known as the Asian Basketball Confederation) Championships. Manila was the venue in 1960 and 1973. This year will mark the third staging of the biennial competition in Manila, ending a 40-year wait. The Philippines has never lost in a FIBA-Asia tournament it hosted.

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7 – the Philippines’ top two finishes in tournament annals. The national team has registered five first and two runner-up places in FIBA-Asia’s 53-year history.

7 – Gilas players in the pool with the initial J in their first name – Jayson Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Jared Dillinger, JuneMar Fajardo, Jeffrei Chan, Joachim (Sonny) Thoss and Japeth Aguilar.

7 – Gilas players from Talk ‘N’ Text – Ranidel de Ocampo, Castro, Alapag, Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes, Larry Fonacier and Dillinger.

17 – players named by coach Chot Reyes to comprise the Gilas pool. The team could be called the Magnificent 7 (from Philippine Cup champion Talk ‘N’ Text) plus 10.

7 – Gilas cagers who played college basketball in the US – Alapag (California State at San Bernardino), Williams (Oakland University), Reyes (California State at Fullerton), Dillinger (University of Hawaii), Marcus Douthit (Providence), Gabe Norwood (George Mason University) and Aguilar (Western Kentucky).

7 – Gilas players who saw action in the UAAP and NCAA – Castro (Philippine Christian University), Fonacier (Ateneo), Pingris (FEU), L. A. Tenorio (Ateneo), Chan (FEU), Greg Slaughter (Ateneo) and Aguilar (Ateneo).

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7 – straight wins to guarantee a Final Four ticket to the FIBA-Asia Championships. The 16 participating countries will be bracketed in four groups of four each. A team plays its groupmates once then the last placer of each group is eliminated and the top three advance to form two groups of six, playing three more games. Then, the top four of each group in the second round move up to the knockout quarterfinals. That means a team with seven straight wins automatically qualifies for the knockout semifinals. But a semifinal slot won’t mean a ticket to the FIBA World Championships because only the top three finishers will take the trip to Spain.

7 – letters in either the first or second name of eight Gilas players – Ranidel, JuneMar Fajardo, Pingris, Jeffrei, Douthit, Norwood, Joachim and Aguilar.

187 – games the Philippines has played in FIBA-Asia tournaments. The national team’s overall record is 122-65 or a 65.2 winning percentage. China has the highest rate of 93.96 percent on 140 wins and only nine losses since joining the competition in 1975. China has captured 15 FIBA-Asia titles so far.

If numerologists are to be believed, Gilas should find good fortune in the coming FIBA-Asia Championships.