Looking at losing that FIBA World Cup bid

This appears on abs-cbnnews.com

Looking at that losing FIBA World Cup bid

by rick olivares pic borrowed from fiba

The bids by China and the Philippines are a study in contrasts. 

You can actually say that China’s bid was rational and calculating while the Philippines’ bid was emotional. Very kurot sa puso as we like in our telenovelas and films. But sadly, as much as it tugged at my heartstrings, I wondered how this would resonate to men of different cultures who think differently.

Listening to China’s bid, the strengths they outlined -- veterans in hosting world-class events, existing world class venues, efficient transportation system, efficient media management — were our very own weaknesses. 

The 2013 FIBA Asia is the biggest one the Philippines has hosted in recent memory aside from the traditional Southeast Asian Games. That paled in comparison to China’s impressive hosting resume.

The venues we have are pretty good even if the venue in Cebu has yet to be built. But that leads to the traffic situation in Manila that is getting horrendous by the day. If that is terrible then our public transportation system is worse. We don’t need a world-class event to galvanize solving that problem. It should be on top of this country’s priority list.

As for media management. Sadly, the facilities for this are really wanting. I remember how foreign journalists would complain about the poor internet during the FIBA Asia. 

So when FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann announced the innovations that are set to take place on 2019, it is entirely possible that they didn’t want to gamble with the infrastructure and go with a country that is tried and tested. 

As per the criteria set forth by FIBA, it is the ability to:

•    meet FIBA’s commercial, operational, and venue requirements

•    field a competitive national team

•    have a strong sport development programme

•    and leave a lasting legacy for the event

Okay. Fine.

But I can’t help but think of Indianapolis in 2002. They only had two venues — the Conseco Fieldhouse and the RCA Dome for all the teams! So what if there were only 16 teams then as opposed to the 24 now. They’re not even a media hub. Okay, they host the largest single day sporting event that is the Indy 500. But still. 

How about Saitama in 2006? They had five venues with only the Saitama Super Arena the only with more than 10,000 seating capacity (21 thousand to be exact). The Philippine arena seats more than all those five venues combined. Furthermore, Saitama was only founded as a city in 2001 after three prefectures were merged. Now if you check the legacy portion of the criteria, basketball in Japan is lagging way behind baseball and football. Sure they have a lot of teams but the sport as a whole is struggling.

In 2010 in Istanbul, the popularity of basketball wasn’t because of the NBA (especially in a football-mad country like Turkey). Believe it or not, it was an American television show, “The White Shadow” that was about grassroots hoops. The game even before the FIBA hosting was popular and it has grown even more in this country. Who did Turkey beat in the hosting bid? France. And to think more countries voted for these two than the united Balkan States that banded together in an effort to host the 2010 games. And these Balkan countries are really basketball mad.

And for the 2014 games, wasn’t Spain mired in an economic recession at that time?

And look who is bidding for the 2023 games — Germany, Qatar, and Turkey. Turkey hosted in 2010 so why are they back in the picture? 

So I cannot figure out the rhyme or reason for these countries winning the bids. If you go back into the FIBA World Championships, in its early years many of the games were held in South America where FOOTBALL IS KING. So is it growing the sport? Is it economic power?

You want more proof of how strange the decision making is during the bidding for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships, Lebanon was awarded the right to host with the Ghazir Club Court as its main venue. Hold on boys and girls because that venue seats only 4,500 people. 

Somehow, I feel like that this is like applying for a VISA. You’ll never know if you’ll get it. Like when I applied for a Schengen VISA months ago, there was this family that had previously traveled all over Asia that was denied a chance to go to Europe while this family that had never traveled before was granted one. Go figure.

I guess, it is like the Ms. Universe contest where it isn’t necessarily the prettiest woman who wins the title. 

You might say that tugging on heartstrings isn’t enough. Of course it isn’t. That is why the Philippines’ bid stated the economic growth and the love for the game that will ensure that the venues are packed. If on short notice, the Philippines picked up the bid for the 2013 FIBA Asia after Lebanon was taken off the hosting rights following war in the region what more the Philippines with four years to prepare for 2019?

Losing the bid is painful. The country is beginning to make a name for itself in the international arena and this would be the crowning glory (next to an Olympic or FIFA World Cup hosting bid) and this would have left a real lasting legacy. And whether we like it or not, there’s the matter of the Spratly Islands where China was annexed islands that belong to us. We can’t do much militarily in the Spratlys issue then we get bushwhacked in a game that we call our own. IT. HURTS.

Now let me leave you with one sobering fact. We like to say that the Chinese have an acumen for business. And on the day of the bid, sans emotion, it was all cold blooded business. No frills. No fancy slogans.

And now they are FIBA World Cup hosts.

PBA Life #2 will be out on August 10

This second issue was a little harder to put together because I was out for a lengthy amount of time (was on vacation in Europe) and teams were in the middle of the hunt for a playoff berth for the season-ending Governors’ Cup.

The cover as you all have seen features Ginebra’s iconic duo of Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa. Again, as a long-time PBA fan, it is a thrill to have them as representatives from arguably the league’s most popular ball club in the magazine more so as cover subjects.

As a youngster, I rooted for Ginebra (now as journalist and as PBA Life EIC I have to be neutral).

I recall during the 1986 season ending Open Conference where Ginebra played Manila Beer for the title, the former lost in Game Two. This after that game-winning dunk by Billy Ray Bates. I wrote a lengthy fan letter on yellow legal pad (I was in first year college then) about my observations of the two matches played and even recommended some plays on how to free up Michael Hackett and so and so. I asked a classmate of mine to drop it off at Robert Jaworski’s home at Corinthian Gardens since they were neighbors. Anyways, Ginebra went on to win the title – the first of Jaworski’s career as playing coach and I would be foolhardy to think that the Big J read my letter.

That same Christmas, a car parked in front of the house and the driver asked for me. I will never forget those words he uttered, “Padala sa inyo ni Mr. Jaworski.”

It was a Christmas gift with a card signed “Bobby Jaworski” where he thanked me for the letter, the plays, and the support. There was a basket of goodies but the one I treasured the most was a Ginebra jacket that was several sizes bigger than me. But it didn’t matter. It was and is one of the best gifts I have ever received. I still have the card but lost the jacket to a fire that burned down my home several months ago.

After having written the cover story, I feel like I have come full circle. Hopefully, just as a man made me happy with a simple Christmas gift in 1986, you’ll enjoy this feature on the Fast and the Furious as well as our other features!

Anyways, aside from Jayjay and Mark, we also featured Jayson Castro, Greg Slaughter, Reynel Hugnatan, Mark Barroca, JP Erram, Justin Chua, Ronjay Buenafe, Brian Heruela, JM Wilson, Tim Cone, and the San Miguel Beermen. 

There's going to be a magazine signing and meet and greet sometime this August. Watch out for the announcement.

Bleachers Brew #450: An assist for Scottie Pippen

On the occasion of my 450th column for Business Mirror, I throw an assist to one of my fave basketball players. This appears on the Monday, August 3, 2015 edition of the Business Mirror.

An assist for Scottie Pippen

by rick olivares

That Instagram debate between Shaquille O’Neal and Scottie Pippen started out as hilarious but ended with the former taking it very personally.

He can dish it but can’t take it.

Since Pip wasn’t known to talk trash he sort of backed down after attracting such vitriol from the Big Fella.

Okay, here’s how it all started, Shaq posted a pic with five Los Angeles Lakers – Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and himself say beating their Chicago Bulls counterparts of Derrick Rose, Michael Jordan, Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant. By 50 points!

Yes, the Lakers could beat the Bulls but not always and certainly not by 50 points.

The first thing one has to note is the Hall of Famers on either side. The Lakers have more and Kobe will no doubt make it as soon as he becomes eligible.

The Bulls have three. The jury’s out on Rose with all his injuries. Grant will not make it.

Offensively, the Lakers have three of the ten greatest NBA scorers of all-time. And to think that Wilt Chamberlain was left out…. Oh my, Lord! Nevertheless, offensively, LA looks overpowering. However, there is only one basketball and that will have to be shared by all the players on either squad. Someone’s stats will surely go down.

Here is where Pippen can make a case for himself (since he really wasn’t known for his trash talking).

Scottie knows a thing of two about carrying a team.

When Pippen carried the Chicago Bulls from 1993 to a portion of 1995 (without Michael Jordan), his Bulls went 3-3 against O’Neal’s Orlando Magic.

Scottie averaged 25.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in those six matches in that span. He came close to winning the league MVP Award in 1994 but received the All-Star Game MVP honors that same season (he tallied 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists in the match held at the Target Center in Minnesota).

So no, Scottie can carry a team.

Shaq showed that video clip of Kobe’s crossover on Pippen that led to his dunk. Sure… but he conveniently left this out (check on this YouTube video). You might make a case that Kobe was still a young player then. But I thought that hypotheticals were out of the window. Check out “pippen 1on1 kobe” on YouTube.

Hey, defense wins games. And championships too.

Furthermore, Shaq conveniently forgets that defense wins championships. Between those five Laker are a combined 26 first and second team All-Defense citations. Magic Johnson wasn’t known for his defense and it is unfortunate that All-Defensive team honors were not given until the 1968-69 season which around that time, Baylor’s career was winding down.

The Bulls have 31 citations between themselves with Rose not making it to any of the first or second teams.

While the Lakers’ frontline looks overpowering not to mention much taller, it isn’t solely about height. Check out how Dennis Rodman successfully defended Shaq in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals and later on while the Big Diesel was with LA.

Furthermore, Shaq’ defensive rep/dominance was made by beating up on teams with centers like Rik Smits (Indiana in 2000), 34-year old Dikembe Mutombo (Philadelphia in 2001), and the great Todd McCulloch (New Jersey in 2002).

Against top centers near or in their prime like Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston in the 1995 NBA Finals), Tim Duncan/David Robinson (San Antonio in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals) and Ben Wallace (Detroit in the 2004 NBA Finals), his teams went a combined 1-12. Now, Olajuwon and Robinson are Hall of Famers and Duncan will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial one day. Ben Wallace? He was darn good for a few years. He didn’t have the offense of Horace Grant and Rodman was more gifted offensively but he was a solid slotman for Detroit that won it with defense.

During the 1997-98 seasons, they went 1-8 against the Utah Jazz that had Greg Ostertag and Greg Foster at center.

So, yes, sir. Defense wins championships and oh, check out “Dennis Rodman schools and Destroys Shaq” on YouTube.

And oh, Shaq’s Lakers chalked up a huge assist from the Chicago Bulls.

And lastly, Pip might want to make a case that Shaq’s Lakers didn’t win anything until they brought over former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson. Didn’t win one after Pat Riley. Haven’t won since the Zen Master skipped town.

Furthermore, aside from the coaching staff of Jackson, Tex Winter, and Frank Hamblen, they also imported a bunch of Bulls who won titles in Chi-town to help them – Ron Harper, John Salley, and Horace Grant. So who’s your daddy now, Shaq?

For the record, I believe Shaq is one of the top players ever to grace the NBA’s hardcourt. So this isn’t a diatribe against the Diesel who I admire as well.

Yes, the Lakers will be heavy favorites to beat that Bulls five. They probably will. Certainly not by 50 and not all the time. Besides, do you want to bet against a man named Michael Jordan?

The National University Bulldogs' championship book

This is the new book I worked on. Wrote several chapters about the National University Bulldog's historic and triumphant UAAP season (also chipped in the title). This should be out in a few short weeks. Other writers include Jasmine Payo and Tricia Robredo.

What else am I working on? The book on Baby Dalupan where I am writing parts of the Ateneo chapter, Crispa, Great Taste, and Purefoods.

And there's a biography of a Philippine senator!

Breaking down EAC’s win over San Sebastian

Breaking down EAC’s win over San Sebastian

by rick olivares

For the second consecutive match, I tracked the offensive output of the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals with regards to their offense and their pass count before shooting. Check out the previous tracking article here. 

Previously, I theorized that it was in their best interests to push the ball up and score within the first three passes as opposed to setting up their halfcourt game that gave them all sorts of trouble as they didn’t have anyone to break down defenses.

This time, against the San Sebastian Stags, they took a higher volume of shots within the first three passes, scored more, and well, they won the game, 77-71. Of course, we will track them some more because two matches that we tracked doesn’t mean the theory is golden.

Passes	Attempts where they scored (includes free throws)	Attempts missed (includes blocks)	Fouls / broken up plays	Turnovers
One-three passes	17	29	7	18
Four or more passes	10	17	2	3

·      This tally does not include 24-second shot clock violations, put backs, or free throws off where a pass did not occur.

Aside from the quicker offense, the Generals play better when forward Sidney Onwubere and center Laminou Hamadou are on the floor. They were lucky they had a lead when Onwubere fouled out (with three of those fouls phantom fouls in my opinion).

Hamadou’s presence negated the inside game of the Stags’ Bradwyn Guinto who had his way when the Cameroonian went to the bench in the second quarter.

The EAC center scored some big points when SSCR was threatening and Jose Morada hit a big triple to ease the pressure.

As for San Sebastian, with Hamadou inside, the Stags had to settle for shooting from the perimeter. They jacked up a large number of triples with a lot coming during crunch time. Stags’ gunner Jon Ortuoste, who could be the second coming of Roi Sumang, got going for a brief moment in the second half but he kind of scattered his points. 

My earlier observation about Guinto having a tough time against the taller Hamadou, of course, he will have a tougher time. The height disparity is going to hurt. Guinto is one of the better bigs in the game despite being undersized. He has a good passing touch with deft moves inside the paint. But he scored most of his points in the second period and didn’t have much of an impact in the payoff period.