Wazzup Pilipinas!?
Basketball is a sport created by James Naismith, a Canadian-American professor in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. What began as an attempt to get his students active and engaged, Basketball has become a global iconic sport that millions of followers around the world enjoy.
The American colonial period introduced the game of Basketball to the Philippines. When the country officially became part of FIBA (The International Basketball Federation, popularly known by the French acronym FIBA, Fédération Internationale de Basketball) in 1936, the Philippines made an instant impact in its debut in the 1936 Olympics, where we finished fifth, which remains as the best finish by an Asian team in the history of the tournament.
An upward view of a basketball hoop highlighting the Manila skyline.
In the first basketball tournament of the 1951 Asian Games, the Philippines captured the gold medal with a team led by the legendary Carlos Loyzaga of San Beda and Lauro Mumar of Letran College.
Our great start continued when we also attained a bronze medal in the 1954 FIBA World Championships, once again the best Asian finish in the history of the competition. The Philippines will go on to dominate the FIBA Asia Championships where we won 4 gold medals starting in 1960 up until the early 70s.
Today, the Philippines remains one of Asia's elite basketball countries and Southeast Asia's best basketball nation. The country basks in the glory of hosting the recently concluded FIBA World Cup in Manila last August 2023. Not to mention the gold medals in the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) and Asian Games.
With all the accolades and victories, the Filipinos' passion for the game of basketball remains high. For numerous decades, the sport has remained the most popular in the country.
In every corner of the capital city of Manila in Luzon, and even in Visayas and Mindanao, you will either see a full-sized basketball court or a half-court setup where our countrymen from all walks of life play and enjoy.
The PBA (Philippine Basketball Association), established in 1975, is the oldest pay-for-play league in Asia and the second-oldest basketball association in the world. It has remained a pop culture icon for Filipinos who watch live games in venues, on television, and even on desktops and handheld devices.
When the global Coronavirus pandemic struck the globe in 2020, sports leagues around the world decided to forfeit their ongoing seasons and tournaments. The PBA, much like the NBA (National Basketball Association), remained and stood its ground to continue operating and provide quality basketball entertainment for Filipinos all over the world in the middle of the uncertainty of that time.
It is where Filipino resiliency truly lived up to its hype. Even after the trials and challenges, we continued to stand up and fight again. Not even the pandemic, the rainy season, or the heat of the summer can stop the country's passion for playing the game of basketball.
The mantra even became more evident when Gilas Pilipinas, the Men's National basketball team of the Philippines, ranked 37 in the world, defeated world number 6 Latvia for a historical upset win in the recently held FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament in Riga, Latvia.
As we move forward to exciting times ahead for Philippine basketball, the dribbling sound of the ball for the Philippines and the Filipinos' love for basketball is like a heartbeat that we can hear. Every dribble signifies a beat. A true beacon of hope that never gives up.
Cover photo above: The basketball court of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 featuring the pre-game of Gilas Pilipinas versus China. Photo taken last September 9, 2024 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
by Miles Alimangohan, RND
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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