What sportsmanship is all about

It was a painful loss that San Miguel Beer absorbed in bowing to the Indonesia Warriors via a hairline 78-76 decision before a disappointed home crowd in the clincher of the AirAsia Asean Basketball League (ABL) best-of-three Finals at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig last Saturday night.

Even as the defeat struck an arrow straight into San Miguel’s heart, there was no gnashing of teeth, no throwing of chairs, no berating of referees. To be sure, the officiating was somewhat spotty. In a crucial stage of the contest, Indonesia was called for a foul on San Miguel import Duke Crews who connected in what appeared to be a continuation play but the referees ruled it was not in the act of shooting. A technical foul was subsequently called on San Miguel and the Warriors capitalized on the free throws and extra possession. That was probably the turning point of the game. Another issue was the disparity in free throw attempts as Indonesia hit 22-of-38 free throws compared to San Miguel’s 14-of-21.

But San Miguel coach Bobby Parks, who felt the pain more than anyone, refused to rant and rave. He took the setback without rancor and congratulated the Warriors, saying they deserved to win. Without meaning to steal the thunder from Indonesia coach Todd Purves, Parks gained the admiration of fans all over the ABL and viewers who watched on ESPN for his sportsmanship.

“If we played on the road anywhere else with the title on the line, I don’t know if we would’ve come out alive,” said Purves, quoted by a reliable source. “You’ve got to hand it to San Miguel – it’s a class organization.”

* * * *

San Miguel sports director Noli Eala arranged a post-game dinner at Kamayan EDSA for the Beermen, win or lose, and when San Miguel Corp. president Ramon S. Ang learned of the outcome, he invited the Warriors to join.

“Mr. Ang was at a dinner when I informed him of the result,” said Eala. “Immediately, he asked if we could invite the Warriors to dinner with our team. It’s always been his philosophy that on the court, you play your best, you play your hardest. But off the court, we’re all friends because that’s what sports is all about, breeding sportsmanship, camaraderie. After a game, there should be no animosity. Mr. Ang wanted to show our guests what Filipino hospitality is like, that in the Philippines, this is how it’s done. It was a bitter loss but that’s history now. We move on and work harder so that next time, we’ll win it.”

Warriors owner Erick Thohir, a media mogul, flew in by private plane from Jakarta just to watch the game with business associates Michael Widjaya and Andre Mamuaya. Ang had met Thohir previously in Jakarta and is acquainted with Thohir’s older brother Boy, a mining magnate. The Thohirs are listed in the Forbes top 40 billionaires in Asia. Widjaya is from a wealthy family that is involved in property development while Mamuaya controls Adaro Power, one of the biggest power producers in Indonesia.

“Participating in the ABL or the PBA for that matter is about cultivating relationships and friendships,” said Eala. “This was what Mr. Ang had in mind in inviting the Warriors to dinner. Mr. Ang went to Kamayan EDSA with his son to personally congratulate the Warriors, Mr. Thohir, Mr. Widjaya and Mr. Mamuaya and of course, to console the Beermen. He saw how downhearted the Beermen were, especially since we were so close to winning. Mr. Ang acknowledged the Beermen for the great run, being a first-year team to make it all the way to the Finals. He also told them to move on, regroup and come back stronger.”

Thohir and his Indonesian business partners went back to Jakarta on their private plane after dinner that same night.

* * * *

The game was tight as expected. San Miguel got off to an 11-6 start but the Warriors, starring Fil-Am guard Stanley Pringle of Penn State, bounced back to open a 10-point lead, 28-18, in the second period before the margin went down to five at the turn. PBA Living Legend Robert Jaworski visited the San Miguel dugout at halftime and lifted the Beermen’s spirits with a brief inspirational message. San Miguel came out smoking in the third period and took over the lead only to fall behind once more. In the fourth period, Parks used three bigs to anchor a 2-3 zone and the ploy stalled Indonesia’s offense. Nick Fazekas, Duke Crews and June Mar Fajardo formed a solid backline that took away the Warriors’ interior game. San Miguel’s Leo Avenido could’ve tied the count with a few seconds left but missed the layup that would’ve sent it into overtime.

How ironic that Indonesia’s Filipino imports made a significant contribution in the contest. Pringle scored 28 points. Guard Jerick Uy Canada and Allan Salangsang chipped in seven apiece. What stymied San Miguel’s momentum was the Warriors’ ability to read the passing lanes, resulting in 12 steals and a barrage of turnover points. The Beermen also had an off-night from three-point range, going scoreless in six tries, while Indonesia buried 4-of-24.

As Pringle shone brightly for Indonesia, Chris Banchero lit it up for San Miguel. Banchero compiled 16 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals before fouling out with two minutes to go. Pringle has two years left in his Warriors contract. Banchero will likely play in the next PBA D-League in October.