Arenas Praises The Philippines
After his sojourn in Manila to promote the NBA and Adidas, here's what Agent Zero has to say about the NBA fans in the Philippines:
Upon reading this in his NBA blog, I was really moved and I was elated that someone (a prominent sports figure, as a matter of fact) justifies what I've been advertising to my friends back in Canada. Along with the stifling humidity, there's a sense of hospitality that hits you the moment you step outside the airport. It's really something that can't be described and can only be experienced first hand. "If you’re having a bad day, or you’re having a bad career, go to Manila. They’ll bring your spirits up, trust me," promises Arenas to his NBA colleagues and it's a statement I'm extending not just to professional basketball athletes but to everyone in the world.
I want to affirm what Agent Zero had said about the NBA fans in my country. The people here love basketball. They LOVE it. They love it the same way Canadians love hockey, the same way Brazilians love soccer, the same way the Dutch love their weed. Every street corner, every block, there's a basketball court. Even when the rim dimensions aren't standard at all, or the pavement is filled with potholes, they make due. Every single guy seem to own a basketball jersey or a pair of basketball shorts. And they know the NBA. The discussions I've had about basketball with people here are outstanding because the points they make are always analytic, insightful, and provocative. Being surrounded with this passion for the sport, coupled with a fantastic 2007-2008 NBA season, has rekindled my own passion for it to a point where I've actually watched every single playoff game that was available last season.
It's unfortunate that there was never a Filipino NBA player to rally behind. The thing is, though, it doesn't matter if some of our hometown greats have the skill set to compete against the likes of LeBron and Kobe, we never had the ability to grown proper NBA bodies. From my understanding, only three players had a decent chance of making it to the NBA: Allan Caidic, Johnny Abarrientos, and currently active Willie Miller.
My knowledge of Willie Miller's game is only second-hand but from what a good friend has told me, he plays like Dwyane Wade with 3-point range. The only problem is he's 5'10" and he's 31 years old right now. He's too small to play shooting guard and doesn't have the court vision to be an NBA point guard. So there's no surprise why an invitation to an NBA camp hasn't come yet.
There was a rumor that Johnny Abarrientos tried out for the Sacramento Kings in the mid-90's, joining Mitch Richmond, Brian Grant, and Olden Polynice. At 5'7", he could've been a Muggsy Bogues/Earl Boykins type of undersized point guard. He's definitely quick enough and he has the type of competitiveness and motor that would have succeeded in the NBA (although he could have improved his shooting). I don't know how that concluded but the hearsay seemed to have fizzled out.
Allan Caidic of the late 80's apparently had the best chance to crack an NBA lineup, and honestly, if he considered it, I don't understand why he wouldn't have. He's our 6'2" version of Larry Bird, a guy with ice water in his veins that can knock down ten 3's in a game when the opponent is expecting him to knock down ten 3's in a game. Caidic could have been a Craig Hodges/Mark Price/Byron Scott type players, which were prototype shooting guards at that time. It's a shame that it never happened because it would've been magnificent to route for "The Triggerman" in the NBA back in the day.
It's most likely improbable to one day see a Filipino player wrecking havoc in the NBA. However, even without a Filipino representative in the league, the support the NBA gains from the Philippines is stupendous and I'm glad an all-star like Arenas got an opportunity to see that.
One thing I want to say about Filipinos: they’re very warm people, very good-hearted people. Like, everybody was nice. You know, you meet nice people, but a whole country of nice, genuine, warm-hearted people was unbelievable. These are diehard fans.
Upon reading this in his NBA blog, I was really moved and I was elated that someone (a prominent sports figure, as a matter of fact) justifies what I've been advertising to my friends back in Canada. Along with the stifling humidity, there's a sense of hospitality that hits you the moment you step outside the airport. It's really something that can't be described and can only be experienced first hand. "If you’re having a bad day, or you’re having a bad career, go to Manila. They’ll bring your spirits up, trust me," promises Arenas to his NBA colleagues and it's a statement I'm extending not just to professional basketball athletes but to everyone in the world.
I want to affirm what Agent Zero had said about the NBA fans in my country. The people here love basketball. They LOVE it. They love it the same way Canadians love hockey, the same way Brazilians love soccer, the same way the Dutch love their weed. Every street corner, every block, there's a basketball court. Even when the rim dimensions aren't standard at all, or the pavement is filled with potholes, they make due. Every single guy seem to own a basketball jersey or a pair of basketball shorts. And they know the NBA. The discussions I've had about basketball with people here are outstanding because the points they make are always analytic, insightful, and provocative. Being surrounded with this passion for the sport, coupled with a fantastic 2007-2008 NBA season, has rekindled my own passion for it to a point where I've actually watched every single playoff game that was available last season.
It's unfortunate that there was never a Filipino NBA player to rally behind. The thing is, though, it doesn't matter if some of our hometown greats have the skill set to compete against the likes of LeBron and Kobe, we never had the ability to grown proper NBA bodies. From my understanding, only three players had a decent chance of making it to the NBA: Allan Caidic, Johnny Abarrientos, and currently active Willie Miller.
My knowledge of Willie Miller's game is only second-hand but from what a good friend has told me, he plays like Dwyane Wade with 3-point range. The only problem is he's 5'10" and he's 31 years old right now. He's too small to play shooting guard and doesn't have the court vision to be an NBA point guard. So there's no surprise why an invitation to an NBA camp hasn't come yet.
There was a rumor that Johnny Abarrientos tried out for the Sacramento Kings in the mid-90's, joining Mitch Richmond, Brian Grant, and Olden Polynice. At 5'7", he could've been a Muggsy Bogues/Earl Boykins type of undersized point guard. He's definitely quick enough and he has the type of competitiveness and motor that would have succeeded in the NBA (although he could have improved his shooting). I don't know how that concluded but the hearsay seemed to have fizzled out.
Allan Caidic of the late 80's apparently had the best chance to crack an NBA lineup, and honestly, if he considered it, I don't understand why he wouldn't have. He's our 6'2" version of Larry Bird, a guy with ice water in his veins that can knock down ten 3's in a game when the opponent is expecting him to knock down ten 3's in a game. Caidic could have been a Craig Hodges/Mark Price/Byron Scott type players, which were prototype shooting guards at that time. It's a shame that it never happened because it would've been magnificent to route for "The Triggerman" in the NBA back in the day.
It's most likely improbable to one day see a Filipino player wrecking havoc in the NBA. However, even without a Filipino representative in the league, the support the NBA gains from the Philippines is stupendous and I'm glad an all-star like Arenas got an opportunity to see that.
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