The problem with basketball

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”– Attributed to Albert Einstein

It seems so painfully difficult to progress in the country’s unrequited love for basketball. That’s why many sportsmen continue to argue against it. And in some aspects, they’re not wrong.

If it were possible (or allowed), there are other individual sports which, on the surface, would produce better results than basketball internationally, possibly at a lower cost. Swimming, athletics and gymnastics, individual sports wherein athletes compete in multiple events, can garner more medals per athlete than the single one an entire team of huge basketball players can produce. Twelve boxers could each win one medal, and even eat less than an entire basketball team.

But okay; Filipinos love basketball. I get it, more than most people. I’ve loved it – painfully – for more than half a century myself. I even independently produced “The Basketball Show” for more than six years. I’ve covered hoops at every level; I’ve broadcasted every major league in the country except for the MICAA, and only because I was still a child then. So it may mean something when I say we’re doing something wrong.

First of all, our goals are to qualify for this event or win that tournament. The target is the destination, not the journey. Why not aim to build a team that is capable of such greatness that those goals are merely milestones along the way? Why not find people whose hearts are solely set on taking the country higher and not diluted or distracted by earning a living, wanting to be right or prove personal competence? Why not find players cut from the same cloth and weave them together, instead of a patchwork quilt with weak seams?

Secondly, let’s find what works. We all grew up on American basketball, and it’s great. But for what our national team needs to accomplish, it may not be the best fit. To begin with, we don’t have the combination of size and athletic ability that the Americans have. But – and this is crucial – if we have the patience and can keep a national team together playing solely for the flag, we can approximate a European style of basketball, which has also been proven to work.

In the early 2000’s, Angola’s men’s basketball team qualified for the Olympic Games, twice (2000 and 2004). At one point, they ranked 11th in the world (and have stayed at around 23rd to 30th since then). They had only been playing the sport about 30 years back then. The multiple AfroBasket champion did it with homegrown talent, no seven-footers, and only two players who had studied in the US. And they played their way, with great defense, consistent rebounding and a strong running game. If Filipinos find their true basketball personality, it’s very possible that the country can do the same.