The Real Essence of Gilas Basketball

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Balling and Blogging Featured Article

By Onie Dator, Blogger August 21, 2015

  The Filipino word "Gilas" is defined in English as gallantry. "Magilas" is defined as gallant, valiant and boldly dashing. (source: www.tagaloglang.com)

Gilas 1.0

Jayvee Casio, Marcio Lassiter, Dylan Ababou and Mac Baracael

Image Source: smart-gilas-draft.jpg

It all started with a simple dream by one man they call MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan, Head of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) to once again see the National Basketball Team of the Philippines compete in the biggest stage there is- The Olympics. And in order to achieve that dream, the Philippines first needed to have a governing body that would unite all basketball leagues in the country. Through the perseverance of MVP and all those who supported him, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) was born. As a result, the dream of making it back to the olympics was officially a reality.

The plan was to form a team that would be comprised of college superstars and young Fil-Ams playing US NCAA Division 1 basketball who would be fully committed to the program for the next three years. (For the record, this whole program started in 2009. Why 3 years? Because the goal was to win the 2011 Fiba Asia tournament in China to earn a spot in the 2012 London Olympics. Commitment was a must. In fact, the players had to delay their plans of joining the Philippine Basketball Association to play for the team.) The SBP hired Rajko Toroman, a Serbian coach who just led Iran to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to be the coach of the eventual Philippine National Team. It was Coach Rajko Toroman himself who chose the college stars who would be part of the new National Team that was officially named Smart Gilas Pilipinas. Ateneo superstar Chris Tiu, La Salle hotshot Jayvee Casio, UST stud Dylan Ababou, FEU playmaker Mark Barroca, Western Kentucky product and ultra athletic beanpole Japeth Aguilar, Fil-Americans Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were the big names that  bannered the first ever Gilas Pilipinas team. It even included FEU swingman Mac Baracael, who just a few months back, survived a gunshot that almost ended everything for him. Yet, unlike in previous years, it was also a time when everyone agreed that the team needed a Naturalized player to help out. So, after trying out different prospects, the SBP and Coach Toroman finally found "The One". His name was Marcus Douthit. A former star player from Providence who was drafted in 2004 by the Los Angeles Lakers. A 6"11 big man who had the versatility to post up, hit outside shots, play pick and roll, and anchor the defense of a team that badly needed a big. And with that, Gilas Pilipinas was ready to rock and roll. With players who were fully committed to the program, Gilas competed in various tournaments outside the country. They imbibed the Euro-style system of Coach Toroman. And when they played in the PBA as a guest team, Gilas showed the immense potential that team basketball could do for them. It was fun to watch how they ran their system and the discipline that the players had in doing so. Remember, these players were all superstars who had to accept roles and buy in to the team concept for the benefit of the whole team in general. It was not easy and yet they did it.

And so, 2011 came, Gilas was all set to compete with Asia's best. To make the team even stronger, the SBP included some PBA players like Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes, Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag to boost the team's firepower. In the Fiba Asia tournament, everything was all set until controversy struck once again. All of a sudden, the higher ups of the FIBA Asia declared Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz as ineligible players. Instead of putting their heads down, these strong-willed men led by Marcus Douthit fought it out and made it all the way to the semifinals of the FIBA Asia for the first time in a very long time. MVP and the SBP fought hard to justify the eligibility of Lutz and Lassiter and they were eventually able to play. Yet, in the semifinals against the Tab Baldwin led Jordan National Team, Gilas was not able to finish the job. They were able to keep it close but Jordan's Sam Daghles just hit too many dagger shots that killed the dream of the Philippines to make it back to the Olympics. To add insult to injury, Gilas was defeated by South Korea in heartbreaking fashion in the battle for bronze match. The Philippines was up once again in the dying minutes of the game but like in the 2002 Asian Games, Korea miraculously came back and broke the hearts of all Filipinos once again. Gilas ended up fourth and did not bring home a medal. Yet, what was more important though was that they earned the respect of everyone as Philippine basketball was without a doubt, back in business.

Battle for Bronze

Source: youtube

Gilas 2.0: The 2013 Fiba Asia Tournament

Gilas 2.0

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The three years were up and the original Gilas players moved on. Most of them entered the PBA draft and ended up as lottery picks. Jayvee Casio actually went first overall. Coach Rajko Toroman even got an opportunity to call the shots for a PBA team. Skipper Chris Tiu eventually joined the draft a few years later and became a lottery pick as well. Marcus Douthit played oversees but was always ready to represent the country. Bottomline, the Gilas program was headed to a new direction. Multi-titled Coach, Vincent "Chot" Reyes was named the new guy to call the shots for the team. This time around, he and the SBP created a pool that included PBA players. He instilled his patented dribble-drive offense and chose guys who would fit perfectly in this system. Superstar guard Jayson "The Blur" Castro, Captain Jimmy Alapag, Defensive Stopper Gabe "Mr. President" Norwood, Fiery Marc "Pinoy Sakuragi" Pingris, Ultra Athletic Japeth Aguilar, Sweet-shooting Jeff Chan, Clutch shooter Larry Fonacier, Cebuano Phenom JuneMar Fajardo, Professional Scorer Gary "Mr. Pure Energy" David, Jones Cup MVP Lewis Alfred "LA" Tenorio, Versatile big Ranidel "RDO" De Ocampo and Naturalized player Marcus Douthit made up the original Gilas 2.0. The goal for this team was to make it back to the World Cup, specifically the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain. With the the Philippines garnering the chance to host 2013 Fiba Asia Tournament, the pressure was on for Coach Chot Reyes and his men to deliver. And deliver they did. With the whole nation literally supporting Gilas (The Mall of Asia Arena was jampacked every single time Gilas played), the team went back to the semifinals once again in rockstar fashion. The team was the hottest ticket in town. Everyone talked about Gilas. Everyone loved them. Everyone wore Gilas Shirts. And as one nation, everyone whole-heartedly joined in shouting, "LABAN PILIPINAS! PUSO!"

The experience was so surreal. Until now, I still get emotional whenever I recall all the precious moments that happened in that tournament. For crying out loud, all I could wish for our country is for us to be truly united. And for once, it did happen during those two weeks. Heck, I was super proud to be a Filipino. And I will forever be thankful to Gilas for that.

In the semifinals, a familiar foe awaited Gilas Pilipinas: The Ultimate Pinoy Heartbreakers known as the South Korean National Team. I mean, as much as they broke the hearts of Filipinos for the past how many years, these guys have very much earned our respect when it comes to the game of basketball. The Koreans are lights out shooters and they are so difficult to beat. Everyone was so afraid that history might repeat itself once again. From the get-go, everyone knew that it would be epic. And then, when the Philippines seemed to be in control of the game, disaster struck as Kuya Marcus Douthit went down with an injury. The energy was zapped out of the MOA arena and from all over the country. I personally told myself like, "Oh God, please, NOT Again, please, please." Gilas had to go with an All Filipino lineup and had to play with tons of Puso to win the game and qualify for the World Cup. The Koreans, as expected, came back and even took the lead in the fourth quarter. It seemed like history would really repeat itself for the nth time. And this time around, it would hurt more because it would happen here in the Philippines. Then, when all the marbles were on the line, Pinoy Mighty Mouse Jimmy Alapag came to save the day once again. Captain Alapag hit dagger shots after dagger shots that finally ended the curse. Marc Pingris and Ranidel De Ocampo also made big shots that finally got us over the hump. And as the seconds ticked by and the game finally ended, literally everyone was in tears as the Philppines finally defeated South Korea and officially punched its ticket to the Fiba World Cup in Spain. I consider this moment as one of the best moments ever in the history of Philippine basketball. How could you not be proud of a team that figuratively and literally played like the ideal Filipinos, who in spite of all the adversities, gave it their all not for themselves but for the whole nation. We are the ultimate underdogs, but for crying out loud, we have the biggest hearts in the world. Hearts that are second to none and will forever be unparalleled and unmatched.

Gilas defeats South Korea

Source: youtube

Gilas did not win the Gold as Iran defeated them in the finals. Yet, we were probably the happiest silver medalists ever. In fact, we were even happier than the team that won the gold medal. They say that no one celebrates winning a silver medal. Yet, through the puso of all Filipinos and the Gilas Pilipinas players, it was proven during the 2013 Fiba Asia that a silver medal could actually be more precious than a gold medal.

2013 FIBA Asia Highlights

Source: youtube

Gilas 2.0: The 2014 Fiba World Cup

A year later, Gilas Pilipinas was ready to play in the World Cup. Former NBA player Andray Blatche was officially on board and fully committed to Gilas. Larry Fonacier decided to step down in order to rest. It paved the way for the entry of former UE standout and Rain or Shine stud Paul Lee. Still, the rest of the team was very much intact. Marcus Douthit joined in the preparations and supported the team even if Blatche took his place already. It was in this tournament where Gilas won the hearts of basketball fans all over the world. The never-say-die attitude and the utmost passion to play for the country were the two most evident reasons for how the valiant Gilas players earned the respect of each individual who witnessed them play. Regardless if the odds were stacked up against them, it didn't matter at all, because these guys literally left everything that they could give on the court. In all honesty, the Gilas players lacked the necessary size to compete with the other basketball powers. Standing at only 6'4, Gilas' Power Forward Marc "Pinoy Sakuragi" Pingris battled the giants of Greece, Argentina, Senegal, Puerto Rico and Croatia with pure heart and desire. Captain Jimmy Alapag, who was barely 5'8, made epic plays after epic plays against the much bigger guards of the group. To simply put it, the so-called disadvantage didn’t really matter much because of the Puso (heart) that each and every player displayed in each of the 5 games they played during the World Cup. A team that went 1-4 in terms of win-loss record, and yet, won the admiration of practically everyone who watched the FIBA World Cup. How would you not fall in love with a team that displayed a true love for the game of basketball? How would you not adore a team with Filipino fans who cheered as if their lives depended on it? How would you not be proud of a team that in spite of the so-called limitations they had, fought through these highly rated basketball countries and were never blown out by any of them? If ever they did at one point, they always came back and almost won the game.

Gilas at the 2014 FIBA World Cup

Source: youtube

   To this day, every basketball-blooded Filipino very much remembers how Gabe “Mr. President” Norwood posterized Argentinian Superstar Luis Scola; how Captain Jimmy Alapag brought Gilas back from large deficits; how new Naturalized player Andray Blatche became the team’s anchor; how bigman JuneMar Fajardo stood his ground against the world’s giants; how new Gilas addition Paul "Angas ng Tondo" Lee played as if he was breaking ankles of people in Tondo; and how Ranidel De Ocampo showed that he could basically put buckets against anyone in the world. Gilas, to simply put it, played fantastic basketball. They really  put on a hell of a show and seemed poise to dominate in Asia.

Gilas 2.0: The Forgettable Asian Games

     When the Gilas players arrived from Spain, everyone cheered for them and were so excited for the upcoming Asian Games. It seemed like Gilas was poised to win the Gold medal especially because of how they competed in the World Cup. Unfortunately, days before the Asian Games, Andray Blatche was officially declared ineligible to play for the team. Jayson Castro was out because of an injury. All of a sudden, the team's top two players were missing. Of course, everyone was very disappointed but as competitors, instead of pulling out of the Asian Games, the team still decided to compete. Marcus Douthit had to come in and cram his way to shape. Still, the chemistry of the team was very much affected by how everything unfolded. To say the least, the Asian Games turned out to be a disaster for Gilas. The team looked and played in disarray at times. Guys looked tired. They gave away big leads. There were lots of miscues all over. There were commotions among players and even coach Chot Reyes as well, most specifically with Marcus Douthit. And in a complete 180 degree turn, Gilas was bombarded by criticisms. Coach Chot went from being praised as the best coach in the Philippines to being the worst ever. Probably, the expectations that were not met by the team caused the disappointment among a lot of Filipinos who thought that they could win the Gold medal. The Asian Games stint of Gilas, ironically, ended their run together. A few months later, Chot Reyes was relieved of his duties as Gilas coach. According to the the SBP, the team needed an overhaul. And before we could even celebrate how they played in the Fiba World Cup, the team was already disbanded. Why? Is it because they didn't win the gold in the Asian Games? Did we become a basketball powerhouse all of a sudden that we could just disband and discredit a team that gave so much pride to us for the past two years? These were the initial, lingering questions I had when all of these surprising decisions happened. Of course, I had one more very straight-forward question, "What's next for Gilas?"

Gilas 3.0: Different players; Different coach; Different system; Same Love; Same Heart

Coach Tab Baldwin

Image Source: images

    After a few months of searching for the new Gilas coach, the SBP and the PBA eventually announced that former Jordan and New Zealand head coach Tab Baldwin would be the new mentor of Gilas Pilipinas. It did not take long for Coach Baldwin to come up with a so-called wishlist of players whom he coveted to have for his eventual version of Gilas.

   Yet, after a very long PBA season, Coach Baldwin and the rest of his staff are now cramming to get the chemistry of Gilas 3.0 going and get the players playing together like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, the quest to qualify for the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics has already hit some roadblocks. For some reason, key players like JuneMar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, LA Tenorio are not available either due to injuries, personal reasons, and things that I cannot write about because I, myself, do not have tangible pieces of evidence to prove some of these rumored speculations. This has brought about immense sadness among Filipinos and even with a legendary Filipino basketball player in Bogs Adornado, a former National Team Superstar and the first-ever PBA MVP (For more on this story, you can click on this link to read the article by Nelson Beltran of the Philippine Star: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/08/17/1489151/ex-national-cager-pba-legend). Thankfully, Marc Pingris who was originally part of the list of those who would not play for Gilas has made an incredible turn around and firm stand that he would play for Gilas no matter what because of his love for the country. I truly commend Ping for what he did. It was a true act of selflessness that I hope would be learned or re-learned by some of our countrymen. Another guy who has shown such selflessness is a guy they call The Rock, 42 year old Asi Taulava. A guy, whose Filipino eligibility and lineage were being heavily questioned 12 years ago, way back when Kevin and I were still in high school. And yet, when he was called upon to represent Gilas for one last time, without any hesitation, he answered with a resounding "Yes!" with no questions asked. Now, that is indeed a true-blooded Filipino, without any doubt. I mean, the truth of the matter is, only Filipinos who truly care for the country would be willing to put country first before himself/herself.

Marc Pingris

Image Source: images

Image Source: images

   In line with all these Gilas controversies, I will now share my own personal take on everything that is happening with Gilas right now. People who truly know me would always ask me one common question, "Onie/Jok/Jonathan/Ian/Dats/Sir Dator, why, of all professions, did you choose to become a teacher?" And to all who have asked me and would ask me in the future, I have always replied and would always reply with one sincere, honest answer: "I am a teacher because it is my calling to be one. I never looked at it as "it is just my job" or "I just ended up in this profession". Rather, I have always looked at it as my ultimate calling and real purpose in life. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing my students learn what they truly need to learn; become better people; and succeed in life. No one gets rich in terms of money when it comes to teaching but you do become "rich" in all other aspects. If that calling to teach, for some darn reason, vanishes, then it is the only time that I can say that I probably should walk away from it."

    Playing for Gilas, just like teaching, is a calling. Any player who would want to play for Gilas should only do so if he truly knows deep within himself that he whole-heartedly wants to. In fact, more than pride and obligation, there is a deeper factor that should come in: Love. To paraphrase a quote that Michael Jordan told Ahmad Rashad in an interview, he mentioned something like "In order to be great at something, you need to have a deep love for it. For it is in loving something so bad that you go to the extreme just for you to make it work and to make sure that you will not lose it." If a player looks at playing for Gilas Pilipinas as a mere chance to earn more money, be more famous and enjoy the glamour that comes with it, then he has all the wrong reasons for doing so. Yet, if his reasons are because he sincerely loves to play for the country and put country first before himself even to the point of jeopardizing his career, then by all means this player deserves to be on the team. Love and Selflessness are the two primary requirements when it comes to playing for Gilas. When it comes to Gilas basketball, the only name that matters is the one that you see in front of the jersey: Pilipinas. Nothing more. Nothing Less. The names at the back don't matter as much.

   The real essence of Gilas basketball is defined by the love that we, Filipinos, have for the game of basketball. Team always comes first before any individual, regardless of who they are or what they have accomplished. It is the team (Gilas) that we cheer for. It is the team (Gilas) that we support regardless of the outcome. It is the team (Gilas) that we really love and care for.

   Honestly speaking, I know that this following statement can be interpreted as harsh, but for crying out loud, I really don't give a damn if some of these so-called "superstars" don't want to show up and don't want to play for Gilas, regardless of their reasons. By all means, let them do what they want to do. I get to say this because for me, whoever Tab Baldwin ends up choosing  to represent Gilas will be 12 men who would really love and die to do so; 12 men who would give their all out effort in every second of every possession of every game; 12 men who would leave everything they have on the court; 12 men who would play with the puso that only we, Filipinos, have; And most importantly, 12 men who would truly make us proud, not necessarily by winning the gold in the FIBA Asia or qualifying for the 2016 olympics, but through their execution of what Gilas basketball is really all about.

   To my fellow Filipinos, come the Fiba Asia next month, let us, as one nation, cheer for our team Gilas Pilipinas. It doesn't matter if we end up winning the gold or not. It doesn't matter if we qualify for the olympics or not. It doesn't matter if we win by 20 or lose by 20. The only thing that matters is for us, as one nation, to be there for them. Let us cheer for them with all our puso. And in unison, let us shout as loud as we can to the point that China can hear it, "GO GILAS! LABAN PILIPINAS! PUSO!"