The German national basketball team traveled to the Philippines for the knockout phase of the World Cup. The archipelago has been crazy about basketball since colonial times.
Whoever visits the Philippines these days is surrounded by basketball. Improvised baskets hang from lanterns, in narrow courtyards, sometimes between clotheslines. Rings with nets can even be found right next to the “apartment tombs,” the stacked concrete containers in which families keep the remains of their dead.
American military jeeps that have been converted into minibuses, the so-called “Jeepneys”, which are used as the main means of transport in the capital Manila, are brightly painted and decorated with pictures of Jesus Christ or well-known basketball players such as Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Often side by side. In the big city, in the village, on the beach, even in churches: you always see a basketball jersey somewhere.
basketball as sports imperialism
Basketball has a long tradition in the Philippines since US colonial rule at the end of the 19th century. At the Far Eastern Games in Manila in 1913, the forerunner of the Asian Games, a first basketball competition took place, which the Philippine selection won directly. In the ten editions, the Filipino team won nine times.
In 1936, the national team qualified for the Olympic Games and finished fifth. In 1954, the Philippines won bronze at the World Basketball Championships, the best result ever achieved by an Asian team at a World Cup.
San Miguel Beermen and Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Master
The Philippine Basketball Association was founded in 1975, the first basketball league in Asia and the second oldest basketball league in the world after the NBA with continuous play. In the Philippine League, teams are not tied to places, they are owned by companies. For example, the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters will play against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Record champions and only remaining founding member are the San Miguel Beermen.
The season consists of three tournaments. In addition to the Philippine Cup, which is played from June to September, there is the Commissioner’s Cup (September to January) and the Governor’s Cup (January to April). So, basketball fans in the Philippines can attend games all year round.
The NBA and FIBA have recognized the potential
But that’s not enough for many basketball enthusiasts in the island state. Watching NBA is a morning ritual for many families. Due to the time difference, the fan community in the Philippines can follow the games while brushing their teeth. The NBA has also recognized the potential therein. Ten years ago, she played the Indiana Pacers against the Houston Rockets in the Philippines as part of pre-season. And NBA stars like LeBron James also stopped there during their marketing tours.
Government reactions showed that FIBA hit the bull’s eye with its decision to make the Philippines co-hosts of the World Cup. No school was ordered on the day the tournament opened, and officials should also stay away from work. The teams are escorted to the venues by police cars so they don’t get stuck in the ever-present traffic jam.
attendance record at the opening game
The Philippines lost all their group games themselves. The old basketball adage “You can’t teach height” is still valid. A team where half of the players are less than 1.95 meters is only partially competitive, even if Jordan Clarkson was part of it. The NBA player, whose grandmother is from the Philippines, has never lived in the archipelago, but led the national team with an average of 26 points.
However, the Philippines did have one success: the opening game smashed the previous female attendance record at a basketball World Cup – 38,115 fans came to the hosts’ game against the Dominican Republic.