What is SEABA’s future? - THE GAME OF MY LIFE by Bill Velasco

The opening of the Southeast Asian Basketball Association men’s championship was a resounding success. Not only was there a hefty crowd which filled the ringside and middle sections of Rizal Memorial despite the heat, but the list of sports officials unexpectedly swelled with uninvited (and even irrelevant) guests.

Considering that the two entities involved in organizing the event — the Basketball Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission — have been embroiled in controversy of late, the various interested groups made it a point to be present at the televised ceremony.

The entire Philippine Sports Commission made an appearance, proving its strong support for the event. Chairman Butch Tuason and commissioners Richie Garcia, Weena Lim, Butch Ramirez and Cynthia Carrion have been very active not only in restoring communications with some athletes who felt disenfranchised, but also in renovating the historic Rizal Memorial.

"We already had plans of air-conditioning Rizal Memorial," admits Tuason, "but unfortunately, our budget is smaller. So we concentrated on fixing the roof, the court and the seats." Although partial, the changes, particularly the addition of several high-powered fans, made a difference, particularly in ventilation. Our national men’s team has been practicing in Rizal Memorial since November, and the players have expressed their gratitude for the improvements.

Also at the opening ceremony were DILG Secretary Joey Lina, who created the PSC, Gov. Chavit Singson, PCSO chairman Ma. Livia "Honey Girl" de Leon, BAP officers, PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad, former PSC chairman Popoy Juico and former commissioner Tisha Abundo, former Philippine Olympic Committee president Cristy Ramos, and several national sports association presidents.

Unfortunately, there were also some gate-crashers, including representatives of a handful of political candidates who had no business being there (and who will not get mentioned here) clad in eye-straining yellow vests wildly emblazoned with their patrons’ names. I’m sure they were disappointed to realize that the opening was not broadcast live but edited into a five-minute half-time feature.

It was heartening to see a good crowd despite the lack of familiarity with the participating teams. However, succeeding blowouts by the Philippines were met with sparse attendance.

Most of the region’s stronger teams, notably Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, are in rebuilding stages, and have very young, undeveloped players, which is one reason why the Philippines has been so dominant. You can’t really blame the crowds for not storming the venue, they know who’s going to win. Although our boys have played cohesively and have shown improving firepower, you know what’s going to happen next. So a lot of people have chosen to watch the games in TV.

Considering that the top two teams from the SEABA will enter the ABC Championships in Shanghai in July, we had better be prepared to face unforgiving opposition. China will be hosting the ABC for the first time since 1989, and the Dallas Mavericks have cleared Wang Zhizhi to come home to play since the NBA season ends in June. More trouble for the Philippines.

The SEABA must find a way to strengthen its members. As in any league, one weak team drags down the entire field. Brunei, for example, is a nation that loves soccer and badminton, and has been the doormat of the tournament. (I’m even taller than their starting center.) Vietnam has shown little improvement, and has been on the receiving end of far too many blowouts. If the SEABA wishes to continue pulling in sponsors and drawing a larger audience (the finals will be shown on Star Sports), then it must improve the quality of the teams. Eliminating imports this year was a first step. Perhaps the SEABA members should sit down and arrange a regular competition with a home-and-away format to keep the players active year-round and force them to improve.

As an organization, the SEABA is still young. It was only in the last three years that they have been able to hold the men’s championship consistently. Now, they have to look at the big picture. What role do they want to play in the history of basketball in Asia? With China, Japan and Korea breaking onto the world stage through the Asian Games, Olympics and now the NBA, how will Southeast Asia catch up?

The answer begins with the heads of the basketball associations of the countries involved. How willing are they to sponsor coaches and players to basketball camps in the US? The Atlanta Hawks first helped train the Chinese national team back in the early 1980’s, when the Chinese didn’t even dunk. When Pat Riley was with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was the only pro coach to attend college coaches’ camps. The dividends were five NBA titles for the Lakers in the 1980’s. Our coaches and players have to go where the best brains are. There is no other way around it. But once we get better, then we won’t have to go. We’ll be invited, like China’s players.

Maybe then, the job will be done.