Basketball isn’t all about height, Cebu ballers told

CEBU CITY, Philippines – For those who keep saying that Filipinos are just wasting their time on basketball because they do not have the height, here’s what Craig Brown, NBA Asia Director of Basketball Operations, has to say.

“What I say about that is Muggsy Bogues, what I say about that is Earl Boykins, what I say about that is Spud Webb, what I say about that is Isaiah Thomas now for the Boston Celtics, he’s averaging 28 points a game in the NBA and he’s probably only 5 feet 8 inches tall. Allen Iverson, many people think that he was over 6 feet tall. [But] Allen Iverson is only 5’11 [and probably] pound for pound one of the best players that played the game [who was] just inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

Brown was in town for the coaches clinic in line with the Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska as the league’s efforts to encourage youth basketball participation. 

Brown said that all those players that he mentioned are under 6 feet tall. 

“So let’s change the mentality here in the Philippines and not think that we can’t do it because we’re not tall, but trusting and believing that there’s only one Lebron James in the whole world. So let’s not compare ourselves with him. There’s only one Kobe Bryant, and one Michael Jordan in the whole world in the existence of the game. So let’s stop comparing ourselves to those athletes and start comparing ourselves to the Isaiah Thomases, Allen Iversons and other athletes that are probably on equal height. And you know, we may potentially have the same abilities if we just trust and believe in ourselves and work on our fundamentals.”

This is the second time that Brown has visited the queen city of the south. He was also here for last year’s regional selection camp which eventually produced two girl ballers from the Abellana National School—Darliene Ragasajo and Florence Jil Talas, both 14, who made it to the JrNBA/JrWNBA Female All-Stars after the national training camp in Manila.

According to Brown, there were many talented and competitive players coming from the Visayas regional selection last year.

This year’s Visayas regional selection camp will be held on March 11 and 12 at the Don Bosco Technology Center, which was also last year’s venue. The camp is free and open to both boys and girls aged 10 to 14 years old, born between 2003 to 2007. 

The regional selection camp is the second of 4 stages of the Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska. 

The first stage is skills clinics in schools and communities, then the regional selection camp wherein participants will be taught the fundamental skills and core value of the game. In this stage, the participants will be graded and the topscorers will be invited to join the national training camp along with the other selections in Manila, which is the third stage. There, 8 boys and 8 girls will be selected to comprise the Jr. NBA All-Stars, who will get to experience the final stage, which is the NBA experience trip along with the other All-Star selections in Southeast Asia.

Last year, the All-Stars got to watch the NBA Global Games China 2016 between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

“I think all throughout the Philippines, the youth are playing ball at a great level. From a coaches’ standpoint, it is up to us to continue to work with them, develop the youth and give them as much as we possibly can and let them know that the sky is the limit. And dream big.”

Aside from the All-Star selection of players, the Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 will also be selecting the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year. The first coaches clinic for this year was held in Manila last January 20. After Cebu last Monday, another coaches clinic will be held in Cagayan de Oro on February 3.

As to the potential of Filipino coaches, Brown was delighted with their enthusiasm to learn.

“I had a group of Filipino coaches in our trainer program on Friday. And I wasn’t sure if I was working with the coaches or I was working with kids because of their competitiveness, their excitement. The coaches here… and the culture in general is truly passionate about the game of basketball. There is truly [this] love for the game.”

In Cebu, a total of 81 coaches took part in the clinic, 8 of them women. – Rappler.com