For a basketball country like the Philippines, sometimes watching basketball is a pain. Sometimes was not this time as Gilas Pilipinas beat a European team for the first time in 64 years in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
For a basketball country like the Philippines, sometimes watching basketball is a pain.
Care to see the Los Angeles Lakers? Prime time in the US for the Lake Show usually means an 11 a.m. start or a 2 p.m. end here. Quite ridiculous, to be honest.
And that’s just the Lakers. If you were raring to see the Celtics play, Boston’s recent Finals run had most Finals games start at 8 a.m. on weekdays. Good luck trying to sneak in some screen time wherever you were.
The PBA is always right here, for better or for worse. On the PBA’s best days, there’s true amazing hoops, but the perception around the league now is just so divisive, especially through online discourse, that it’s quite difficult to not feel the off vibes every now and then.
[Related: The Philippine Cup will always be the PBA's saving grace]
Fortunately, there’s Gilas Pilipinas, the one uniting basketball team in our basketball-crazed country.
You either love this team or you don’t, at least that’s what it looks like all the time. But as Gilas Pilipinas quite literally started the day today, everyone for sure loves this team right now. The vibes are simply immaculate.
That’s what you get when you take down the world’s no. 6 team on their own court. For once, it’s not us.
For a basketball country like the Philippines, sometimes watching basketball is a pain. Sometimes was not this time.
[Related: Justin Brownlee sizzles as Gilas Pilipinas shock world no. 6 Latvia for strong start in FIBA OQT]
"I’m totally shocked to be sitting here in front of you guys after winning this basketball game,” head coach Tim Cone said after the win, after Gilas not only upset Latvia on the road, they demolished them.
Gilas led by as many as 26 points in a game the national team never trailed. They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity, but it’s hard to say Gilas Pilipinas got lucky when they absolutely overwhelmed a rising basketball power.
It’s hard to say they were overly prepared too, considering they only brought 11 players and played three tune-up games.
What Gilas Pilipinas had was opportunity, and the basketball-crazy players from arguably the most basketball-crazy nation Just Did It.
Whether Gilas actually wins this FIBA OQT to make it to the Olympic Games is hard to say, victory is oftentimes hard to reach. But against Georgia later today to get us ever closer to Paris, a perfect chance has come and Gilas Pilipinas look as prepared as ever.
Tip off is at 8:30 p.m. prime time and the basketball-crazy fans will be watching, so why not Just Do It again? For once, why can’t it be us?