‘Pinoy Hoops’ scores a million

The second episode of the pioneering documentary “Pinoy Hoops: A National Obsession” which aired over the National Geographic Channel (NGC) last Monday earned over one million online impressions in less than 24 hours after it aired. Caelestis Productions, which partnered with this writer in producing the documentary, employs an application that tracks feedback on all of its projects online. Within hours of the episode’s airing at 9 p.m. Monday, there were over one million quotes, mentions, tweets and retweets regarding the film, which focused on the quirks and curiosities of Philippine basketball.

The mini-series, the first commissioned work by NGC in the Philippines, covers much of the breadth of Philippine basketball. Episode 1 revealed the most unlikely places where basketball is found in the Philippines. Research took us to an abandoned hotel in Caloocan, whose roofdeck became a precarious home to an unlikely community. A makeshift fullcourt in the middle of all the temporary houses serves as their town plaza, community center and diversion from vices. Another location was a remote barrio in Laguna, where communist rebels played non-violent basketball on a dirt court alongside their supposed opponents, the military.

The second episode took on the aspects of Philippine basketball which would seem curious from the perspective of an outsider. Host Rafe Bartholomew served as the guide as to how imports, Fil-foreigners and homegrown players are forced to mesh by necessity to be successful on the basketball court. In an unprecedented act of generosity, Talk ‘N Text and Ginebra San Miguel allowed our crew into their locker rooms during the Commissioners Cup Finals. Perhaps sensing the historic nature of this project, the PBA also granted us unlimited access in the making of the series.

The production was also able to dig up footage from the 1985 game between Ginebra San Miguel and NCC, wherein then-playing coach Robert Jaworski collided with national team Fil-Am forward Jeff Moore on a rebound play, and was rushed to the hospital for nine stitches above his lip. Miraculously, Jaworski returns in the third quarter and, with his team down by double digits, leads an unlikely comeback to a nail-biting victory. The commentary by the late Joe Cantada and my former broadcast partner Andy Jao sent chills down my spine.

The special also explains the strange rituals and nicknames given to players and teams in the country. It focused on Jimmy Alapag and Ronald Tubid, nicknamed “Mighty Mouse” and “The Saint,” respectively, and took on an amused and confused tone as Bartholomew elaborated on the weird mix of mascots and monikers which are only found in Philippine basketball.

Episode 3 which airs tonight on NGC is perhaps the most poignant of the series. We follow four personalities who have built their lives around basketball, and who, despite their struggles, find joy and fulfillment in being around the game and people who make up the hoops community. None of them will be found on the sports pages, except perhaps for a very rare sidebar feature years and years ago.

The first subject is “Sharon,” the transgender cheerleader employed by PBA teams to confound opposing squads. Sharon has been a staple of the PBA and other basketball leagues for almost a quarter of a century, and has been a devoted fan of a select few players, most notably Doug Kramer. Despite her low income, Sharon has also raised an adoptive daughter, and continues to collect Sharon Cuneta memorabilia and stylized costumes for crowd-pumping dance routines during breaks in the action.

Next is my old friend Tony Lu, a former PBA fan who has been a sports photographer for three decades. He is perhaps the most beloved photojournalist anywhere, and is known everywhere in the Philippines. We visit his small apartment in Caloocan, littered with tens of thousands of photographs and negatives strewn about in no logical order, all supposedly guarded by the spirit of his late mother, who apparently walks about the upstairs bedroom, especially in the evenings. 

The story also follows Mang Tom Urbano, who aside from Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu, is the only person who has been with the Aces since Day One. Mang Tom, a former player, was famous for being the first and probably only referee to ever throw Jaworski out of a game. Urbano then became Alaska’s practice referee, trainer and sage. He retired to his new home in Bulacan after we finished filming, with the satisfaction of knowing that through his steadfastness, his children have become successful professionals. His story is followed by the happy one of an out of school Quezon City youth who won the MVP Award of an inter-city basketball tournament, and earned a scholarship to play basketball in the NCAA.

This writer is so blessed and grateful that our humble attempt to give back to the game we love so much has been met with such appreciation by basketball fans here and abroad. It is heartwarming to know that this work will be seen through various replays and on special occasions, and will preserve our beautiful love affair with basketball for generations to come. Thank you to everyone who watched and will watch”Pinoy Hoops: A National Obsession.”