Reyes, Gilas seek redemption in FIBA Asia

MANILA, Philippines – Chot Reyes still remembers the pain of losing his first shot at leading this basketball-crazy nation to the world’s biggest stage.

In 2007, he missed the gates to basketball heaven when the national team he coached bowed out from contention for a slot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics right in the opening round of the FIBA Asia Men’s Basketball Championship.

He was banished to hell by self-confessed basketball pundits. A man of weak character would have faded to oblivion after that debacle.

But not Chot.  His foundation is rock solid. 

As daring as he is when it comes to his iconic wardrobes from the sidelines, he was bold enough to face the challenge up front.

Like a phoenix, he rose up from the ashes of defeat. Between 2007 and 2013, he maniacally worked his way back on top of Philippine basketball.  

He won four PBA titles in six Finals appearances with the Talk n Text Tropang Texters and came one game short of becoming the fourth coach in the league history to win a grand slam. But if there was any consolation, which is in fact bigger than what he narrowly missed, it was earning a shot to purge the ghost of the past.

Six years since that FIBA Asia debacle, he found himself again thrust into the spotlight under the scrutiny of millions of basketball fans in the country.

With a second chance comes greater pressure.

“Alam natin na ang lahat ng tao ay nakatutok sa team na ‘to pagdating ng August,” Reyes said on Monday night before Gilas Pilipinas plunged to their daily practice in the Mall of Asia Arena.

With all eyes on this PBA-backed Gilas and given his past, the pressure is there to finally deliver. 

But Reyes believes that things will be different this time around.  

“Ang pinakamalaking difference is Marcus Douthit,” Reyes said.  â€œNung 2007, we didn’t have a naturalized player. Now we have Marcus who fills in that gap in the middle.”

The first and only five-time PBA Coach of the Year awardee went on to stress two more differences between 2007 and 2013 FIBA Asia jousts.  

“Second, ay ang homecourt advantage.  Ang ikatlo, ‘yung format,” Reyes said.

“Dati ‘nung 2007, after the first round, dalawa lang ang papasok. Ngayon, after the first round, tatlo na ang papasok.”

Only Jimmy Alapag and Gabe Norwood are the remnants of that ill-fated national team that got ambushed in the Group of Death in Tokushima, Japan.

Different names but basically the same type of players Reyes had in mind six years ago. And they’re no strangers to the country’s past heartaches in the Asian basketball stage.

The only difference that may go against him right now is the period of preparation. This Gilas team is barely one month old together compared to the rest of the field who have been together for years.

“I am an optimist but I’m also a realist. Sa totoo lang, napakahirap ng hinaharap natin simula sa Aug. 1 pero magpapakamatay ang team na ‘to para sa bayan. And because of this, tingin ko matitikman natin ang tagumpay.”

And they are killing themselves in training to get one of the three tickets to the FIBA World Championship in Spain next year.

Gilas went home from their 10-day training camp in Lithuania with twice-a-day practices.  They are now tapering off with once-a-day grind from 10 pm to 12 midnight before embarking anew to another 10-day toughening-and-seasoning trip to New Zealand on July 9.

After Monday night’s practice just before the stroke of 12 midnight, Reyes gathered his players in the center court.

“Remember where we came from. Remember who we are and what we’ve been through,” Reyes said. “Only 30 days left before the biggest battle of our lives begins.”

It was a gentle reminder to look back and not to lose sight of their destination.