March 7 will mark the 25th anniversary of the launching of the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association or MBA, the first regional pro basketball league in the Philippines. A joint project of ABS-CBN Sports and MetroBall, Inc., it featured teams that represented different parts of the country, rather than commercial products. It was a rollercoaster ride for those of us who covered the games from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The hype began a hundred days before the grand opening at the Don Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Pangasinan, when Commissioner Mon Fernandez welcomed the world to the new league. ABS-CBN threw its full might behind the games, fueling rabid curiosity around the country. The MBA also introduced some quirky rules, like the “free three,” an uncontested open three-point attempt in lieu of free throws.
The next few years saw us hopping onto planes and vans before dawn to be at courtside for the Manila MetroStars, Pasig-Rizal Pirates, San Juan Knights, Pangasinan Presidents, Pampanga Dragons, Laguna Lakers, Batangas Blades, Negros Slashers, Iloilo Volts, Cebu Gems, Cagayan de Oro Nuggets, Davao Eagles and SocSarGen Marlins, with occasional stops elsewhere. We didn’t mind the grind; we knew it had never been done before. The action was raw and exciting, and the fans were unbelievably warm. It was the first time that we commentators felt like part of the game, as if we were also in the spotlight. And the unique, colorful stories remain with us to this day, something money can’t buy.
The nation met local talents like Romel Adducul, Dondon Hontiveros, Donbel Belano, John Ferriols, Michael Manigo and Reynel Hugnatan, as well as Filipino-foreigners like Alex Compton, Chris Clay, Rudy Hatfield, Jeff Flowers, Matt Mitchell, Rob Wainwright, Dean Labayen, Alex Crisano, Rafi Reavis and Dorian Peña. Miraculously, Hugnatan and Reavis have still been reporting for duty in the PBA a quarter of a century later.
The constant travel, variety of food and places, and various personalities became indelible experiences and long-time friends. On all those early morning flights and interminable drives, we shared stories, jokes, heartaches, our lives. We had families, quadruple doubles, laughter, overtime games, delicacies, shoot-arounds and the best of times. Though time and distance have tossed us in separate directions, we will always have the MBA, which showed us the beauty and wonder of this incomparable country of ours. And that is what makes a life well-lived.
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Chucho Martinez claimed Overall Low Gross at the inaugural leg of the 2023 World Amateur Golf Championship at the Alabang Golf and Country Club on Feb. 20. The former junior golf champion, who was 2022 WAGC Philippines Tournament Director, tallied a three-under-par 69. With the win, Martinez automatically qualifies for the 2023 WAGC Final on Sept 14 to 15 at the Malarayat Golf Club, along with the champions from succeeding WAGC tournaments this year. Chucho has been a teaching pro, golf director of Manila Southwoods, distributor of several high-end global golf brands, and is the founder and CEO of Calor 888 Entertainment and Management Corp. The victory is a nostalgic one for him, as he has been associated with the sport he loves since he was 10 years old.