MANILA, Philippines — No country has seemed to subsume a sport into its national identity as much as the Philippines has with basketball.
The New York Times has called the archipelago a "hoops haven." Many books have been written about the phenomenon, the country's seemingly rabid love for the game and their bond that transcended mere sporting events.
A recent documentary by SportsCenter narrated by Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, who has represented the country internationally, depicted the human face of the Filipino's deep connection to the game of basketball.
"This is not my story, but as the only Filipino-American player in the NBA, I am honored to tell you," Clarkson started.
The mini-documentary told the story of the Fort Bonifacio tenement housing project in the slums of Taguig, which was home to more than 3,000 Filipinos.
Each unit in the tenement measured only 21 square meters per in size, yet each one would house several families living in poverty. According to the video, the entire building would cost $56 — Php 2,800 — per month to rent.
This mural in the Philippines is bigger than basketball. @JordanClarksons tells the story behind the court, located in in one of the poorest areas of Manila. pic.twitter.com/fl5qnfueYX
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 9, 2020
"While the government prepared to evict the residents, an idea was born: to come together and paint murals on the court," Clarkson narrated.
"As a Filipino who loves the game, I wanted to see the mural myself."
Clarkson paid a visit to the tenement in 2016. And since then, both LeBron James and Paul George, both superstars in their own right, have stepped on the court.
Featuring Mural artist Maya Caran Dang, the documentary also told the story of how the iconic murals in the building went on to eventually save its residents from eviction.
"Basketball is a religion. It's the center of our life here," one citizen living in the tenement said.
"We probably would have been thrown out and relocated in far distant places."
"This mural in the Philippines is bigger than basketball," SportsCenter said of the mural in their tweet on Sunday night.
In response to the video, one Filipino commenter wrote, "Our greatest athlete is a boxer,but the greatest sport we love is basketball! Thanks Jordan Clarkson for representing us in the NBA as the only Filipino-American active player!"