Filipino player in NBA 'a matter of time', says champion coach

MANILA, Philippines – Three-time NBA champion assistant coach Phil Handy believes that we are just counting the days until a homegrown Filipino basketball player makes it into the NBA. 

The Los Angeles Lakers head of player development has known about Philippine basketball even before he became a professional athlete. The 6-foot-5 guard played for the Golden State Warriors, and became an import in five countries in Europe. Handy then went on to fame as one of the best trainers in the game, working with legends like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving among others. Handy has won three NBA titles with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and the Lakers. He firmly believes in Filipino talent.

“Listen man, every Filipino I’ve known on the basketball court has had a lot of heart,” says Handy, who first encountered Philippine culture in Union City, California at age 12. “It’s embedded in this culture, so size doesn’t really matter. Filipinos have always had skill, always had speed and again, just the fearlessness. Size is just a physical thing. It’s just a matter of time.”

The creator of the popular training video series “Handy’s Handles” said Filipino center Kai Sotto has the capability to make it into the NBA. Handy wound up his playing career in Australia’s National Basketball League, where Sotto started his pro career with the Adelaide 36ers.

“I believe he’s very talented. I don’t believe in putting timelines on athletes. I’ve had a chance to see him play for a couple of years. He’s naturally gifted. He spent some time down in Australia, and that really helped develop his game” explains Handy. “It could be this summer, it could be next year. It really just depends on the opportunity.”

Handy is in the Philippines for the first time to share his knowledge with elite local school teams and the Converge FiberXers of the Philippines Basketball Association. On Tuesday, he’ll begin his Philippine tour with a clinic at the Philippine National Police Academy in Cavite. He will also be holding a training session with local coaches later in the week. 

At his arrival press conference on Monday, Phil said that Filipinos in general have the heart to play basketball at the highest level. He said that for those like Kai Sotto, all that remains is to be given the right break to get into the big leagues.

“It really just depends on opportunity,” he adds. “Sometimes, players’ opportunities come at different times. The advice I would give Kai is to keep working, keep playing, and keep being ready for the opportunity.”

The Phil Handy Tour through the Philippines and Singapore was organized by CST Accountants and Advisors, which has offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, London and the Philippines. This is their first international sporting event.