Some people want to believe that most PBA players simply play for pay. They say for most players it’s just work. Just like in any office, people punch in their time cards, drag their feet to cubicles and desks, navigate through tons of paperwork and hope to survive another day in the workplace. Some workers work harder than others.
In the PBA context, some players play harder than others. Read the rest of this entry »
Andy Mark Barroca receives the inbound pass from Chris Tiu in the backcourt. Barroca’s team, the RP-Smart Gilas developmental squad, is down by 2, 93-95, with only 9 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter in an exhibition game against PBA title-contender Burger King in early February. Against the pesky in-you-shirt defense of 8-year PBA veteran Egay Billones, Barroca dribbles the ball with his left hand and crosses the halfcourt line effortlessly. Four seconds left. Barroca slightly pushes Billones with his right forearm near the three-point line. Billones loses his balance and takes a seat on the Araneta Coliseum hardwood. Three seconds left. Barroca is now alone with a clear view of the basket. He transfers his dribble to his right hand. It takes two dribbles to reach the free throw line. Tiu is wide-open for a three-pointer on the right side. Barroca, however, is in the zone having tallied 35 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists thus far. Two seconds to go. In one fluid motion, the dreamer from Zamboanga picks up his dribble, gathers himself and takes a jumpshot over the outstretched left arm of 9-year PBA veteran Winnie Arboleda. One second left. Swish. Read the rest of this entry »
Three visitors enter the activity center clad in gray t-shirts and firetruck red warm-up pants. Sporting easy smiles they instantly connect with the audience. It’s part of their job. It’s a non-negotiable trait. They ask a 4-year old boy to join them on the stage. In a routine they will repeat in many other malls, cities, states, countries and continents, they spin a basketball on the toddler’s index finger to the delight of an appreciative audience. Onlookers read the letters printed on visitors’ gray t-shirts. It says Harlem Globetrotters. Read the rest of this entry »
Kobe Bryant and Lebron James always monitor each other. Like two competitive drivers in the Indy 500, even if they’re not racing side-by-side, one is fully aware of where the other is. Now that the race to the NBA Finals is a four-team affair, Kobe and Lebron have their sights set on the checkered flag and a possible dream duel in June. While television executives gear up for a Kobe-Lebron championship showdown, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard are all too willing to dump the script, abandon their supporting roles and grab top billing in next month’s NBA Finals.
Due to popular demand, here is my interview with Ms Lia Cruz, perhaps the best young courtside reporter we have in the Philippines right now.
