Gilas gains media attention

SEVILLE – International media seemed taken by the Philippine national basketball team as Gilas found increasing space in Spanish newspapers reporting on the FIBA World Cup here despite failing to qualify for the round-of-16 that started in Madrid and Barcelona last Saturday.

The latest to be featured in the Spanish daily sports newspaper Marca was guard/forward Gabe Norwood whose photograph was published with President Barack Obama in the inset. Norwood’s nickname in the PBA is Mr. President because of his resemblance to the US Chief Executive.

Norwood, 29, was one of only two Gilas players who logged at least 30 minutes a game throughout the Group B competition. He averaged 31.8 minutes and Andray Blatche, 33.8. Norwood hit at a 5.2 clip and grabbed 3.0 rebounds an outing. Against Argentina, his dunk posterizing Luis Scola made it to the highlight reel of both FIBA and ESPN. In that same game, Norwood had a second slam over Marcos Mata with the left hand.

In Gilas’ 81-79 overtime win over Senegal, Norwood would’ve registered his third dunk of the World Cup but when he elevated, the ball slipped out of his hand. “I don’t know what happened,” said Norwood. “I went up to dunk it but lost control of the ball. No, I wasn’t intending to finger-roll it. I wanted to dunk it.”

Norwood’s ability to defend players from different positions was why he got a lot of minutes from coach Chot Reyes. He took on point guards, offguards and wings. Whatever he contributed in offense was a bonus. In all, Norwood hit 11-of-32 field goals and 2-of-4 free throws.

Three other Gilas players were shown in photos in Spanish newspapers after the win over Senegal. The newspaper AS published a photo of Jimmy Alapag passing off Mouhammad Faye in mid-air but the caption said it was L. A. Tenorio. AS also had a photo of Blatche splitting the double team of Maleye Ndoye and Gorgui Dieng. Another newspaper La Vanguardia showed JuneMar Fajardo defending Dieng.

AS said Gilas ended the tournament “with a sweet taste in the mouth in posting its first and only win, thanks to Blatche who scored 18 points and hit his last two field goals that proved crucial before fouling out.” AS noted that Senegal never advanced beyond the first round in three previous World Cup appearances.

Marca called Norwood an Obama clone. Writer Nacho Duque said there is a country where basketball is the No. 1 sport and it isn’t only Lithuania. “Whatever you say, with Filipino males averaging 5-4 in height, it’s the Philippines,” he said. “In its pro league, teams can bring in 25,000 spectators and during a warmup game in Guadalajara before the World Cup, Gilas brought in 3,000 fans. About 10 million watched the Philippines play its first game at the World Cup in 36 years.”

Duque said Gilas players are celebrities in the Philippines, including Norwood. “It’s possible that Norwood’s resemblance was the reason why he was invited to attend the gala dinner honoring President Obama during his state visit to the Philippines last April,” said Duque. “Norwood never got to meet Obama in person. That night, Norwood had a game with Rain Or Shine and his team lost. But Norwood spoke about Obama’s love for basketball that he constructed a court at the back of the White House and some NBA stars have visited to play.”

Duque said it’s coincidental that Norwood and Obama share Hawaiian roots. Norwood’s father, a former American football player and now a coach, was born in Honolulu where he met his wife whose grandmother was Filipina. “Norwood’s Filipino heritage was the basis for his eligibility to play for the Philippines in 2009,” he said.

Duque said Norwood played in four schools in four years because of his father’s work that required constant relocation and eventually finished at George Mason University. “His physicality and defense were the virtues that were evident at the World Cup,” said Duque. “Norwood didn’t put up big numbers but left one of the biggest memories of the World Cup with his dunk over Scola. His importance to the team wasn’t reflected in the numbers. One of his former collegiate coaches mentioned that Norwood’s philosophy isn’t just about winning or losing but about learning from the journey and moving forward. A George Mason assistant coach once remarked that because of his personality, Norwood could become a politician. Maybe, Obama might find competition in his clone.”

Spanish star Pau Gasol said except against Greece, the Philippines was in the thick of the fight in every game at the World Cup. “It’s unfortunate they didn’t move on but they deserve to be in this part of the championship (round-of-16),” he said.

Here’s how the Gilas players averaged in points at the FIBA World Cup – Andray Blatche 21.2, Jimmy Alapag 9.2, JuneMar Fajardo 6.6, Jayson Castro 6.5, L. A. Tenorio 6.2, Ranidel de Ocampo 6.2, Paul Lee 5.8, Norwood 5.2, Jeff Chan 4.8, Marc Pingris 3.8, Japeth Aguilar 2.5, Gary David 1.0.