Good to be home

It was probably the most exhausting, fulfilling, and unforgettable 19 days of my career as a sports broadcaster and journalist. Covering the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals is always a memorable experience. You watch the games up close, get a chance to talk to the characters involved in the drama, and feel the excitement of being in the swirl of championship fever.

I was fortunate to be a part of the three-man team that was sent by Solar Sports to the US for the Finals. I joined producer Erick Tam and Chino Trinidad in the trip. I am grateful to Solar Sports and I wish to thank William Tieng, Wilson Tieng, Peter Chanliong, Ronald Tieng, Ralph Roy and Monet Silerio for the opportunity to be on site for the Finals.

We knew the investment of sending a three-man team to cover the Finals involved quite a sum. Flying over 10,000 miles to the US and back entailed a major expense, not to mention the hotel accommodations and meal allowance. So we were determined to do the best we could, if only to make the investment worthwhile. We staked our reputation as broadcasters on that commitment.

Sure, the journey was lots of fun, too. But it wasn’t a joyride. Far from it. We worked our tails off, slept short hours, researched, rehearsed, and got ourselves psyched for each game.

Getting from one place to another wasn’t easy. A computer glitch almost left us behind in San Francisco leaving for Game 1 in San Antonio. We were stranded in Memphis for a night and barely made it for Game 6. We had to contend with long lines for security checks. Our gruelling route was Manila to Tokyo to San Francisco to San Antonio to New Jersey to San Antonio to San Francisco to Tokyo and Manila, not counting stopovers along the way in Memphis, Minneapolis, and Detroit.

There were many bright moments to cherish. For instance, It was an honor that our team was chosen for a one-on-one interview on NBA TV. Two other broadcasters from Israel and Argentina were picked. We received congratulatory calls and e-mail from friends who watched the interview on US TV. "NBA Insiders" host Spiro Dedes was surprised when I disclosed during the TV show, that a Fil-Am Raymond Townsend had played in the NBA long before Wang Zhizhi became the first Asian to see action in the majors. We were also interviewed on Mexican radio.

Veteran broadcaster George Eddy of France paid a huge compliment when he said he always learns a lot exchanging notes with Filipino broadcasters. Before the international press caught on to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s switching defense and 3-2 zone, we had explained it on NBA TV. Incidentally, we predicted the outcome of each game in the Finals and were on the money from start to finish. On NBA TV, we said the Spurs would win in six and that was only after Game 3.

Filipino journalist Homer Sayson said he elaborated our Finals analysis to renowned US sports columnist Sam Smith who commented that "you guys know your basketball." Homer writes long distance for the Sun Star in Cebu and is based in Chicago. He was an accredited journalist for the Finals.

On the court, Erick and Chino did their thing in pick-up games with international media. I joined them briefly but after scoring on a jumphook and getting floored on a bump, I decided to stay healthy, rested my knees, and watched from the sidelines. During one of the pick-up games, Erick put on his patented Allen Iverson move, faked off his defender in a drive to the hoop, and in a burst of speed, hit his mouth on a railing after scoring a layup. Chino–who probably had the least body fat among the players in the gym–held his own against beefier opponents and didn’t budge an inch in playing physical.

We played pick-up games at the Fitness Center in San Antonio with about 20 others, including Dirk Nowitzki’s sister Silke and a few NBA executives. In New York, I begged off from playing as my brother Ramon drove in from New Jersey to take me to dinner at the popular Filipino restaurant Cendrillon in the Soho (south of Houston) district. Cendrillon is owned by thehusband and-wife team of Romy Dorotan and Amy Besa. The food was superb. Mybrother ate pansit luglog, his son Greg had adobo and I feasted on spare ribs, cooked the Filipino way. For drinks, I had calamansi juice. For starters, we had soft shell crab. For dessert, we ate ube with coconut sherbet and a mango version of crème brulee. Romy and Amy said their customers aren’t only Filipinos–their reputation has spread far and wide.

In San Antonio, the NBA put us in the "pole position." We had the best view among the international broadcasters, sitting at the point of a "V" angle from our section. In New Jersey, we were on the front row with the French and Spanish crews. Obviously, the NBA has a high regard for Solar Sports which signed a four-year exclusive contract for the league rights in the Philippines.

At the end of the Finals, a member of the US TV production crew came up to us and said he appreciated our coverage. He said he could make out what we were saying since we used some English in our commentary.

Chino and I rehearsed our two-minute intros for each game repeatedly. The intros were transmitted via satellite and there were no take-twos for what is called the unilateral window. So we had to make a crisp, concise, and comprehensive delivery with no mistakes. I’ve done five Finals so far and before each intro, I still get extremely nervous.

Talking to the players face to face was another highlight. We talked to Steve Kerr, Aaron Williams, Stephen Jackson, Speedy Claxton, Kevin Willis, Bruce Bowen, and others. We fired questions at David Robinson and Kenyon Martin during press sessions.

We also dug up sidelight stories to enhance the coverage. We spoke to Joumana Kidd, found out that Bill Walton’s wife Lori Matsuoka is part Filipina, learned about the changes in the Chinese national basketball team, discovered that Billy Ray Bates is in prison, and talked to Bateer Mengke about his future in the NBA.

There are so many people to thank for the ultimate experience of covering the NBA Finals. Of course, Solar Sports, the Tieng family, and the Solar Sports group for making it all possible. Bob Zozobrado of ideazplus and Northwest for facilitating our Manila departure. The Northwest ground staff in the US for helping us out in crisis situations. San Miguel Corp. Chairman Eduardo (Danding) Cojuangco, Jr. and Vice Chairman and President Ramon S. Ang. Nike’s Auty Villarama and Rely San Agustin. NBN Chairman Mia Concio, Bobby Arias and Edgar Reyes. And The Philippine STAR management, led by President and Chief Executive Officer Miguel Belmonte, and the sports staff.

After 19 days, it’s good to be back home.