Yes, that’s right and not a grammatical error. It’s “The Worlds,” a weird sounding nickname for the FIBA World Basketball Championship which kicks off in Istanbul, Turkey today (Saturday in Europe). But did you know about this at all? Did the mere fact that it was a world championship make you rise from your seat in excitement? If you said that you didn’t know that a world championship tournament for basketball was being held, I couldn’t blame you. And if you were to tell me that you were confused as regards which is the real world championship, that of the FIBA or the NBA Finals, I wouldn’t be surprised again. And if you were to ask if the Philippines is part of it, well….
But the show must go on and so it will. It’s the FIBA’s world championship, an event that takes place every four years and two years in between the Olympics. It’s a gathering of the top basketball countries with professional players donning the colors of their respective countries with the goal of grabbing bragging rights over who’s who in the basketball world. But one thing does bother us. If it’s a world thing, why isn’t it popular among basketball fans? As a comparison, the hype and drama that the recent World Cup of football brought with it clearly outclasses that of the basketball world. We all know about how Spain won it all behind the scoring of David Villa and goalkeeping of Iker Casillas. We also saw football’s best players use their summer vacation to play for their flags: Kaka for Brazil, Messi for Argentina, Ronaldo for Portugal, Drogba for Ivory Coast and so many more. I’m afraid we can’t the same thing for basketball.
For starters, the FIBA’s World Basketball Championship doesn’t seem to be a priority of the sport’s top players. If FIFA has Kaka playing for Brazil in the World Cup, will Kobe Bryant or Lebron James be present for the stars and stripes of the United States? The answer is a sad NO. Is Bryant’s teammate Pau Gasol playing for his native Spain which happens to be the defending champion of the tournament? Again, another sad NO. Also missing from Team USA are Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and the entire team that won the gold medal at the Olympics two years ago. So sad and so true! Once these superstars start playing for their flag at every World Championship, the tournament is guaranteed to draw a huge following worldwide.
One of the biggest ironies here is that we actually get to watch quality games especially when the quarterfinals or playoffs start. We’ll get to see how the international game is played and how it’s different from what we’re more familiar with: U.S. basketball. The European teams have shown that they can now compete with the Americans with their versatility and soundness in the fundamentals. Gone are the razzle dazzle one-on-one plays that draw oohs and aahs. European basketball is simple blue-collar basketball that looks for the open man for a shot and passes the ball the way it’s taught in basic basketball clinics. There was a time when the rest of the world had caught up with the U.S., giving them fits in international play. The Worlds has been one of the many tournaments where the U.S. hasn’t done well in, with their preference to go for the Olympic gold medal as a top priority. American superstars prefer to win an NBA title first, and an Olympic gold next in terms of priority. A collegiate title even comes higher ranked than a world championship for others.
And so don’t be surprised if you’ll see another flag being waved at the podium at the tournament’s awarding ceremonies. Don’t get us wrong. Team USA will still be a favorite to win the championship even with a Team B, but it won’t be easy. Among the other teams that we should keep our eyes on is Spain. Even with Pau Gasol deciding to act like an American and skipping this tournament, Spain is still strong behind the likes of Marc Gasol, Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio. Argentina, another former world champion, will also be in the hunt but we won’t be seeing Manu Ginobili play. Bad news is that Andres Nocioni got injured, leaving the leadership role to the likes of Luis Scola, Fabricio Oberto and Carlos Delfino. I have to admit that I’m no expert in international play, but analysts see Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Lithuania also doing well and capable of pulling surprises. I’m sure you’ll notice them easily. They’re the players with names you can’t pronounce with TV commentators giving it their best shot (or guess) at how to say or announce the names. You must also be prepared to discovering that there are many good players in Europe who aren’t even employed in the NBA.
With the NBA and the entire pro basketball world enjoying a summer break and offseason, The Worlds becomes a welcome break to us basketball fans hungry for hoops action on TV. Let’s sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
* * *
Time-out: If you attend the 11:00 am Mass at Sacred Heart Parish every Sunday, don’t forget to greet the priest who celebrates the Mass. Happy birthday to Fr. Manny Uy, S.J. >>> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.