Team USA equals star power. But how exactly bright will the constellation be compared to previous batches of NBAers coming to the Pearl of the Orient?
The last time Filipino basketball fans saw NBA players play in in the Philippines in a game that mattered was . . . never.
That is about to change real soon.
Granted, the Houston Rockets, then bannered by James Harden and Dwight Howard, and the Indiana Pacers, that time led by Paul George, once played a preseason game back here in 2013.
(Courtesy: NBA.com)
A year earlier, a bevy of NBA stars—Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and Chris Paul, to name a few—played a couple of exhibition games, the first against a PBA selection and the second versus Gilas 1.0.
Retired NBA greats, like Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond, and Dominique Wilkins have also come over for exhibitions. And, in 1979, the Washington Bullets played a PBA selection—but in an exhibition match as well. There was also PLDT HOME: The Last Home Stand, when NBA players like Damian Lillard and Kawhi Leonard were supposed to play in a couple of exhibitions. Unfortunately, the first one was turned into a practice session and the second entirely cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
So, no, one of the NBA’s most passionate fan bases has not seen NBA players in a game of consequence.
That is a shame. And that will not be the case anymore eight months from now, when the Philippines co-hosts the 2023 World Cup of Basketball with Japan and Indonesia. FIBA has just announced that Team USA will be playing the group stage here, Team Slovenia will field their players in Japan, while Team Canada will be in Indonesia.
After what has been forever, Filipino fans will get to finally watch some of the NBA’s best players playing in games that actually count—and against the world’s best players no less. That figures to be a treat for hoops-crazed Philippines, even if Team USA does not make it to the medal games, like what happened in the 2019 World Cup.
The only question now is, who will be coming? Team USA in the 2019 World Cup was not exactly a constellation of superstars, with Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown, as its biggest names. That is not a coincidence, as the NBA’s A-listers have routinely bypassed World Cup action for the Olympics. So, it is entirely possible that the team coming here next year will not be as star-studded as Filipino fans might expect.
All hope is not lost, though. Tatum is already on record that he is open to playing in the upcoming World Cup. So are Trae Young and Bradley Beal. Besides, the USA just lost the world’s number 1 ranking to Spain, so Team USA and managing director Grant Hill are likely to go all-out for next year. And that might mean going after a few more A-listers just a bit harder—something Filipino fans would surely like.
Regardless of lineup, just having Team USA play their games here is already a big treat to Filipino basketball fans—who will also get to watch the best of hoops from all around the world.