MANILA, Philippines - Newly appointed Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin said the other day it’s not enough to wish for results and a little luck along the way as he looks forward to working with the Philippine national basketball team in the quest to return to the Olympics after a 44-year absence.
The Philippines hasn’t competed in basketball at the Olympics since 1972. A ticket to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics awaits the winner of the FIBA Asia Championships in Hunan, China, on Sept. 23-Oct. 3.
“I’m all about planning, preparation and hard work,” said Baldwin who took New Zealand to the 2004 Athens Olympics. “That’s germane to what I am. You get results out of hard work. It’s not about the talk. It’s not about wishing results will happen with a little bit of luck. You’ve got to put in the work then the results will follow.”
Since moving from his native Florida to New Zealand in 1988, Baldwin has captured two FIBA Oceania and five national league titles. In 2002, he piloted the Tall Blacks to the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup in Indianapolis. In 2011, Baldwin took Jordan to the FIBA Asia final and came close to bagging the gold medal, losing to China by a point in the championship game. Before joining Gilas as a consultant for the FIBA Asia Championships in 2013, Baldwin was the national coach of New Zealand, Malaysia, Jordan and Lebanon. He also coached in the US NCAA Division I and II, Greece, Turkey and China.
“The Philippine national team is special and different from other national teams in the world for two reasons,” he said. “First, the players come from a competitive and stable league which is the PBA. Lebanon also has a competitive league but it isn’t stable. The PBA has been around since 1975. Second, there isn’t a national team anywhere in the world, outside of the US of course, with as much US content through the Fil-Ams. It’s a component that gives us an added advantage because the Fil-Ams carry over their experience from the US to Gilas.”
As for the lessons learned from Gilas’ participation at the FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games last year, Baldwin said he wouldn’t have done anything differently. “There were so many factors and circumstances that came into play beyond anyone’s control, like Andray (Blatche) not allowed to play in Incheon,” he said. “Personally, I learned a lot about the toughness and mentality of the Filipino players. I was with Gilas to help in the best way I could and I tried to adapt so I could contribute in a positive way. You can’t allow circumstances to distract you, you play under given conditions and do your best to win. You work hard and do your job.”
Baldwin said he hasn’t made contact with Blatche since the FIBA World Cup in Spain. “Of course, Andray is at the top of our list as our naturalized player,” he said. “We’ll definitely reach out to him and find out what his schedule is like when we play in China. We’ll be discussing with the SBP soon on plans for our naturalized player.” Blatche is now playing as an import in the Chinese league and intends to rejoin the NBA in time for the playoffs in April. As a Philippine passport holder and a dual citizen, he is eligible to play for Gilas at the FIBA Asia Championships this year.
Although Blatche and Marcus Douthit are both naturalized citizens, the SBP may consider to recruit another center to address Gilas’ future. The process of naturalization is tedious and requires legislation. Douthit, 34, has been signed to a new contract by the SBP and will likely play for the Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore on June 5-16. Douthit’s contract expires in September. Blatche, 28, has no live contract with the SBP. His engagement was only up to the recent Asian Games where he was ruled ineligible to play because of lack of residence. While Blatche is eligible under FIBA rules which do not stipulate residence, he fell short of the Asian Games requirement.
Baldwin said his wish for 2015 has nothing to do with basketball. “My wish is for a leader to emerge with a high moral fiber and character to influence the people of the world,” he said. “What our world needs today is morality and ethics. I wish for every government to take care of people they govern, to get rid of corruption. I worry about the next generation, the young people who deserve good leadership.”
Baldwin spent the Christmas and New Year holidays in Manila with his 16-year-old son George. He has seven children and the youngest Adriana is 14. Baldwin’s wife Efi, who is Greek, was recently in Manila to visit. She lives in New Zealand with their children. Baldwin and his son will leave for New Zealand tomorrow to spend two weeks with the family. Baldwin will return to Manila on Jan. 17.