John Pages – Page 2 – Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

My dad Bunny

June 17, 2024

The Lord has gifted our family immensely. And of all the blessings that my sister Cheryl and brothers Charlie, Randy, Michael and I have received, none are greater than the gift of our amazing parents. My mom, Maria Elena “Allen,” and my dad, Manuel “Bunny,” were always there for us.

My dad taught me about sports. He pedaled a “racer” (as the road-bike was called in the ’70s). He jogged. He walloped that pelota racket. He exchanged tennis volleys with Monico Puentevella at the Negros Occidental Tennis Association (NOTA) courts in Bacolod.

He showed me the importance of a daily sweat. He lived it. He practiced the age-old adage: “A healthy body equals a healthy mind.”

Bunny Pages played basketball. No, he wasn’t in the PBA. That was his younger brother Ray, who wore the Crispa Redmanizers jersey. My dad joined BAPRO (Bacolod Professionals), a gathering of executives united by the same love of sport as Moses Malone and Paul Westhphal. This was in the 1970s and ‘80s and, as the eldest child, I’d tag along.

Six-foot-tall, my dad played the forward position and scored 23+ points; his corner jump-shot was unstoppable, like George Gervin’s.

Because of my dad’s regular dribbling and shooting, my brother Charlie and I played basketball. We joined the elementary varsity team.

One of my life’s most unforgettable moments was in our Intramurals in La Salle Bacolod. We were the underdogs and faced a team in the Finals composed of the best in Grade 7. The game was close and it came down to the last few seconds. I was fouled. Make both free throws and we win the championship; miss both attempts and we lose. The La Salle Gym was loud and jam-packed with high school and college students — and we were only in elementary! I was 13 years old then but this memory is forever etched in my mind’s eye. It was unbearable pressure.

Swish. Swish. We won.

The reason for all this? My dad. He recognized our passion for sports and built, at our backyard in Mountain View Subd., a half-court so that all-afternoon-long, after school, we’d dribble and practice lay-ups.

Each night, after Charlie and I would rush to finish our homework, we’d turn on the spotlights and play until our elbows ached and our necks stiffened.

Thanks to the green-painted, La Salle-themed court, our skills improved. Our elementary team (coached by an amazing mentor, Bob Coscolluela) won Bacolod’s overall championship. I was the point guard and was adjudged the MVP.

I cite this example because it’s personal. And as a father to my (and Jasmin’s) daughter Jana, I look back at what my dad did and applied the many learnings I’ve accumulated. (Jana herself turned out to be quite an athlete: a former No.4 junior tennis champ and Ateneo de Manila Univ. team captain.)

My dad Bunny and mom Allen were always there. Always. Always. Always. Always. In basketball contests, tennis matches, declamation performances, PTA meetings—in everything that had to do with their most-loved possessions, their children… they were present.

Be present. Remember that presence is more important than gifts. Children spell love… T-I-M-E. Our life here on earth will be measured by how much time we spent with our children. I believe in this formula: the amount of time you spend with your children is commensurate to how good your children will become. Trust me on this. That’s what I’ve experienced with my own parents.

More time + attention = Better children.

Sports? Above all things, this is one activity where you and your children will bond best. Sport means playing. And don’t children love to play? Find the game that your child enjoys. Jog together. Swim. The more time you and your child spend playing, the healthier you become; the healthier your relationship.

To my dad Bunny… I love you! Thanks to your childhood present—that basketball court—and to your presence. Happy Father’s Day!

Cebu Sports Awards

May 26, 2024

If you’re a big sports fan, I request you make time for this afternoon’s grand event: Visit The Terraces of Ayala Center Cebu from 4 to 6 p.m. today. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

It’s the 38th edition of the SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards. It’s “The Oscars of Cebu Sports” when, for one afternoon only, the best of the best Cebuano athletes gather to be honored. It has been four long years since our last awarding. Much has happened since that event last Feb. 2020 — 51 months ago — including the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic and the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

As president of the Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC), here’s the message I want to impart to the 300+ awardees that will climb the stage this afternoon:

The world is filled with bad news. If you stare at the newspaper’s front page, the headline screams: EL NINO IN CV: 4K FARMERS SUFFER P120M IN DAMAGES. When you flip to the international news, the depressing words appear: MORE THAN 300 BURIED IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA LANDSLIDE. When you scan further to the news section, the title reads: LTO OFFICIAL KILLED IN GUN ATTACK. In local news, it’s TRICYCLE DRIVER DIES AFTER BEING HIT BY VAN.

It’s all bad news. In Facebook, on CNN, in the newspapers — everywhere you watch, read and listen — it’s mostly bad news. From the robbery suspects being nabbed in Talisay to Israel’s bombing Rafa in Gaza, it’s mostly dispiriting reports.

But amidst all this bad news, there’s one section that’s different. I call it the GOOD NEWS SECTION.

SPORTS. Why? Because sports promotes triumphs; sports talks of ordinary people accomplishing things that are extraordinary. Sports makes people smile and say, YES!

Sports brings good news. And who are the people behind the positive in this world full of negatives? It’s you, OUR DEAR ATHLETES. Because of your achievements, we are able to write stories that will enliven our readers.

You, dear athletes, provide the good news. Because of you, we’re able to read such happy headline stories like “CVRA ROUTS ZAMBOANGA” or “MADRIDEJOS KNIGHTS MAKE HISTORY” or “DR. DEJANO IS SAC’S SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR.”

Dear Athletes, you inspire all of us. Your positive impact is profound. Your struggles to overcome obstacles and your triumphs move us to clap and cheer and feel good.

Thank you and congratulations. You might be the only good news that people read about today.

Argentina or France?

Chad Songalia, Mike Limpag and Neil Montesclaros are three football fanatics (out of the 3.5 billion who follow the sport) whom I asked to comment on tonight’s World Cup final:

SONGALIA: What have stood out in the World Cup in Qatar? You don’t need big name players to be successful. Look at Morocco. Who would have thought they’d reach the semis? What has stood out also is the emergence of young players: Bellingham, Gavi, Pedri, Gakpo, Musiala and Tchouameni and the strong performances of the goalkeepers (Yassine Bounou and Dominik Livakovic).

LIMPAG: This year’s World Cup, at least for Asians, can be best remembered for the success of the continent: Japan, South Korea, Australia (in football, Australia is considered Asian). Saudi Arabia started it with that shock win against Argentina; Japan beat Germany and Spain to top their group.

MONTESCLAROS: Lower rank teams beating higher rank teams. Upsets. Last minute goals and drama that impact results. Penalty saves. Goal keeping: spectacular and critical saves. Messi’s brilliance and exceptional skills. Asian and African teams’ rising competitiveness. The game-changing VAR. Ronaldo’s fading popularity.

SONGALIA: Whoever can slow down Messi or Mbappe have a good chance of winning. Regardless if Argentina wins or not, Messi is “one of the greatest.” The argument of who is the GOAT is subjective. Let’s not forget Maradona, Beckenbauer, Zidane, Pele and Ronaldo.

LIMPAG: France vs. Argentina will boil down to one man for each: Lionel Messi for Argentina. He hasn’t scored in previous appearances in the knockout stages in four previous World Cup appearances but has already scored in each of the knockout games this year. He has four Man of the Match awards this year, 10th overall, but I think there’s only one title he’s after. Whether he wins it or not, will depend on how their defense will cover Mbappe, who has three Man of the Match awards this year, a testament to how important he is for France.

MONTESCLAROS: Both teams have equal chances to win. I don’t see one really dominant than the other. But Messi is the game changer. He can create something out of nothing. My pick is not a matter of an estimated superior strength. I just prefer Argentina to win as a crowning glory for Messi’s unparalleled impact to the sport.

SONGALIA: Argentina or France? Hmm. This is a tough one. Argentina, so Messi can cement his legacy but my grandson River Killian was named after Mbappe so whoever wins I’ll be happy.

LIMPAG: I don’t want to jinx my favorite team but I still remember the emotional and financial heartache of watching France beat Brazil in a girlie bar (the only place in town that showed the World Cup live) back in ‘98 so I hope Mbappe and company will have that medal they’d rather not display after Sunday’s final.

MONTESCLAROS: Even if Messi does not win the World Cup his football exploits are off the charts. Considering the great footballers as Messi’s contemporary and he out performs them, he is the greatest so far. The World Cup will just be a confirmation of what he already is.

Real Madrid

MADRID — How does it feel like to experience sitting beside 58,367 screaming fanatics of one of the world’s most famous football clubs?

Our JJJ family watched the Real Madrid C.F. vs. Girona FC game in the capital of Spain last Sunday.

Jasmin, Jana and I arrived from Cebu to Madrid early that morning and, within hours, we were ready for the 4:15 p.m. kickoff time.

Bull horns echoed outside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of the Galacticos for the past 75 years. Souvenir booths were scattered around selling scarves, magnets, water bottles — items plastered with the brand “REAL MADRID,” declared by FIFA as the “most successful and best football club of the 20th century.”

When we entered and took our seats on the 2nd level (of five levels), the song “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic blared over the loudspeakers. Goalkeepers danced to the Top Gun Maverick tune, warming up and stretching. Water sprinklers automatically emerged from the pitch to shower the perfectly-manicured grass.

The game took place last Sunday — meaning the audience was filled with families: dads and moms with their young girls and boys; all wearing “EMIRATES Fly Better” jerseys by Adidas with the names BENZEMA, VINI JR., and MODRIC.

The most visible jersey? Although he could not play that afternoon, it had the name BENZEMA plastered on the back. Yes, Karim Benzema was the newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner (“the world’s best footballer”).

GAME TIME. The Girona FC players first entered the pitch and they were greeted with howls and jeers. But when the white jersey-wearing Real Madrid players entered, pandemonium started: drums echoed as the fans stood to clap for their home team. The Madrileños screamed and whistled. (Here in Madrid, nobody wears masks anymore.)

The game started and, as expected from world-class play, the passing and goal attempts and defense were exceptional. Real Madrid, the La Liga defending champions, were clearly the better team against the 17th-ranked Girona. They had plenty of ball possession (58% of the time by game’s end).

Luka Modric, the Croatian captain, was a star. So was Toni Kroos. The first half went scoreless despite Real Madrid having plenty of goal attempts.

Finally, in the 70th minute, Vinicius Junior scored from within a few feet from a superb pass from Federico Valverde. That’s when the bull horns erupted and the fans roared. And just when the fans thought that a 1-0 win was looming, a controversy happened on the 80th minute. The referee, Mario Lopez, who was jeered countless times by the home fans, went to the VAR and ruled that Marco Asensio’s arm touched the ball. Penalty reward for Girona. That’s when Cristhian Stuani, the 6-foot-1 Uruguay player, calmly thrust the ball to the right corner.

One-all! You could feel the disappointment among the fans. Then, in the 89th minute, Rodrygo of Real Madrid scored! But, wait, the referee concluded that the ball was taken away from the goalkeeper’s hands and it was deemed a foul. No goal. Minutes later, the game ended in a 1-all draw.

Looking back at the game, Real Madrid fans are some of the most passionate of any sporting fans that I’ve seen.

Inside the Santiago Bernabeu, you feel the sense of history dating back to its inception in 1947. Real Madrid is the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Yankees of football; one of the planet’s wealthiest sporting outfits with annual revenues of $750 million and a fan base exceeding 225 million people.

You imagine the thousands of games played inside and the superstars who’ve sprinted across the field: David Beckham, Kaka, Iker Casillas, Raul, Luis Figo, Ramos, Sanchez and Zinedine Zidane. This hallowed ground was the home of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Santiago Bernabeu is the Centre Court of the world’s most popular sport.

Thank you, Roger

John McEnroe said it best: There is no more beautiful tennis player than Roger Federer.

On this sport of tennis that I’ve been playing since 1986, no one has impacted the game more than the Swiss maestro. The profoundness of Roger’s career goes beyond the records that he’s amassed. If we speak purely of numbers, he has accumulated plenty of hardware and highlights.

World No. 1 for 237 straight weeks (310 weeks total). Eight Wimbledon trophies to go with five from the US Open, one from the French Open and six from the Australian Open.

The longevity of the Federer Express is a hallmark of his legendary career: He reached the Grand Slam finals in 21 of 28 majors from 2003 to 2009 and ended up winning a total of 20 majors.

He pocketed over $130 million in prize money and hundreds of millions more of Euros from sponsorships that many call him the “Billion dollar athlete,” like MJ, Tiger and LeBron.

And while you’d think that his opponents would hate him for endlessly beating them, the opposite has happened. He has been presented the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted upon by the ATP players on that player with the utmost fairness and integrity) a record 13 times! Roger won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year trophy a record five times.

IN PERSON. I have had the opportunity on three occasions to see Roger Federer. The first was in 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — with Michelle So and Mrs. Chinggay Utzurrum, among others — during his “Clash of Times” exhibition with Pete Sampras. I got to within a few feet away from both legends during an exclusive meet-and-greet session.

The year after in Beijing, Roger won a gold medal in Olympic men’s doubles (with Stan Wawrinka) — a match my wife and I got to witness with our bare eyes.

Then in 2018, with doctors Ronnie and Stevee Medalle, we witnessed the Shanghai Masters with the Swiss as the star attraction.

Back in 2015, my wife Jasmin, our daughter Jana, and I had the opportunity to visit “The Old Boys Club.” It’s a tennis center filled with red-clay courts in Basel, Switzerland where Federer first learned his tennis and became a top junior.

My take on his game and having observed him up close? If Nadal is physical and Djokovic is clinical, Federer is classical.

Tennis is an artform for RF. His Wilson racket is his fountain pen and he writes poetry while in motion.

Roger glides to his left, skating as much as sprinting, and he effortlessly feathers a slice backhand. His 125-kph serve is relaxed and easy. When he drifts to hit a forehand, he is unrushed — floating, sailing, drifting. He dances like a danseur. He strolls like a knight.

Rushing the net to stab a volley, his stroke is fluid. His movement is painless; to the opponents, it’s painful.

Roger is classy and fashionable. He walks with distinguished steps — like a Swiss guard gliding on a tennis rectangle. He looks dashing, off and on the court. (He was GQ’s Most Styling Man of the Decade.)

RF is a role model, much like his BFF from Spain. Well-behaved and always polite, Roger’s mantra reads, “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.”

PBA Finals: TNT vs SMB

MANILA – My wife Jasmin and I are here to attend the graduation of our daughter Jana. She “graduated” in 2020 but their ceremony then was only virtual. Good move by Ateneo to request the graduates from the past two years to return to Loyola Heights and join Class 2022 in a physical “paso” this weekend.

We arrived last Friday and decided to stay near the SM Mall of Asia. After touring the world’s largest IKEA store, we descended the escalator and were greeted by another gargantuan structure: the MOA Arena.

It was the PBA Finals, Game 3!

While Jana was off to ADMU visiting her former professors, Jasmin and I decided to watch the San Miguel Beermen versus TNT Tropang Giga.

We arrived at halftime and took our Lower Box seats (priced reasonably at P450/ticket). The stadium was 70 percent full but 100 percent for San Miguel. Ha-ha. Of course, there were TNT fans but they were outnumbered by the roaring voices of the fanatical Beermen.

The SMB congregation wore red, screamed “SEE-JAY!” for CJ Perez, booed when RR Pogoy’s jumpshot misfired; they banged the inflatable clappers, and carried placards that read, FEAR THE BEER.

The Talk ‘N Text faithful? Despite the appearance of team owner Manny V. Pangilinan and the loud pounding of their drums — the Tropa troops were subdued.

(In between the game’s highlights, I was messaging a former SMB hotshot, Cebu’s top-notch Councilor, Dondon Hontiveros.)

The entire second half was close. SMB led by two points and this was quickly erased by a Jayson Castro jumper. Poy Erram would score a driving layup and, seconds later, Jericho Cruz equalized with a 22-footer.

When the 4th quarter started, TNT led, 76-74. This hard-fought battle ensued all the way until the dying minutes. When the clock stopped with 11.7 seconds to go, San Miguel was up, 94-93. They were poised to claim victory. But TNT held ball possession. Would you believe.. the Beermen were called for a delaying-the-game violation.. Twice! A technical violation ensued resulting to a “free” free throw which RR Pogoy calmly sank. Game tied, 94-all.

Would Game 3 be a repeat of Game 1 when the spitfire Jayson Castro sank the buzzer beater?

Yes, Castro dribbled, pivoted left, faked right, attacked the rim and attempted a hurried shot.. it left his hands, traveled the Manila air for a millisecond… but, no, it missed.

Overtime.

(An hour before that miss, when we arrived and missed the entire first half, my wife Jasmin jokingly predicted, “I don’t care who wins.. as long as the game extends to overtime.)

In OT, Robbie Herndon of SMB scored and scored and made the 5-minute extension a no-contest. When the buzzer sounded, it was 108-100, the winner was the winningest team in PBA history.

The night’s biggest star? The big man from Pinamungajan who led all scorers with 27 points. Here’s more: He grabbed a whopping 27 rebounds. We’re proud to call him Cebuano.. June Mar Fajardo.

2022 Winter Olympics

Beijing hosts a historic Olympic games. It will be the third consecutive Olympics played in East Asia (in 2018, it was the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea; last year, the Tokyo Games).

For 16 days starting last Friday and ending this Feb. 20, Beijing will host its first-ever Winter Olympics. Back in August 2008 — an event that my wife Jasmin and I witnessed in person for 10 days — the same city of Beijing hosted the Olympics.

Beijing becomes the only city in history to host both the Summer and Winter Games.

I checked the temperature in Beijing yesterday and it stood at 0 Celsius. It dips to -7C at night and “heats up” to 4C during midday. (During summer, it’s a hot 30C.)

The Beijing National Stadium was the venue for the Opening Ceremony two nights ago — the same venue China used in 2008. Jasmin and I had a chance to watch the athletics competition 12 years ago (when it was called “Bird’s Nest”) and the 80,000-seater complex is both stunning and humongous.

The Winter Olympics is much smaller than the Summer Games. In Tokyo last year, 206 nations and 11,656 athletes competed in 339 events. This week in Beijing, the Winter Games will involve only 91 nations and 2,875 athletes in 109 events.

Among the popular sports include Ice hockey, Figure skating, Ski jumping, Alping skiing, snowboarding and Cross-country skiing. Another event is Bobsleigh. If you watched the sports comedy film, “Cool Runnings,” a story of the Jamaican team joining the 1988 Winter Olympics, you’ll smile and understand Bobsleigh (or bobsled).

With the spectators, it appears that as many as 150,000 locals will be allowed to watch in a tightly-controlled environment involving strict Covid-19 tests and limited seating. Not all venues will have spectators.

With the athletes and coaches, similar to Tokyo, Beijing is implementing a closed loop system with daily testing.

For the Philippines, our choice of flag bearer was an easy choice (usually, the most accomplished athlete gets to carry the flag). It’s Asa Miller — because he’s the only representative of Team PHI.

In last Friday’s Opening, he was our lone athlete (carrying the flag) and was followed by four other officials, including POC President Bambol Tolentino. (It’s sad to note that figure skater Michael Martinez, the two-time Olympian, is recovering from injuries and won’t be competing.)

Asa Miller, only 21, will be competing in the Men’s slalom and Giant slalom events.

This is not Miller’s first trip to the capital city of China. In 2014, the then-14-year-old Miller was an exchange student.

“It feels great that it’s real now,” said Miller. “And it feels great to be in China again – the Olympic spirit and the culture all over the place, as well as the other athletes.. They’re very fun and motivating.”

To watch Asa Miller, whose event is on Feb. 13, and to witness the other “cool” athletes, coverage in the Phils. is available via Cignal TV (channels 198 and 298).

Like Father, Like Son

LeBron Raymone “Bronny” James Jr. is one of the most famous sons on Planet Earth. He is the first born to the King and heir to the throne.

Bronny turned 17 last Oct. 6. Now a sophomore at Sierra Canyon School in L.A., he plays point guard and has set his sights on achieving a dream that’s never been done before: For father-and-son to play together in the NBA.

Sure, there have been plenty of fathers and sons in the league.

Before Klay Thompson, there was his dad Mychal, who helped the Lakers win two NBA crowns. Kobe Bryant’s dad Joe was a 6-foot-9 power forward who played from 1975 to 1991. His son would join the NBA five years after he retired. Bill and Luke Walton stood tall. You have Rick Barry and his sons Brent, Jon and Drew. And, of course, Dell, Stephen and Seth Curry.

But while the NBA, founded 75 years ago, has witnessed many such combos before, never has it seen one where both played at the same time.

Baseball has Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. playing together for the Seattle Mariners in 1990. But never in the NBA.

Not until LeBron and Bronny.

This may happen as early as 2023 or 2024 after Bronny graduates from high school. Two years from now, Bronny will be 19 and his dad will be 39. (Bronny, the eldest, has two other brothers and a sister.)

Will James and James don the Lakers jerseys? That’s the plan, I’m sure, according to LBJ.

“That would be an unbelievable moment not only for myself but for my family, for everybody,” said LeBron, in a 2018 interview. “That would be pretty dang cool if I were able to be on the NBA floor with my oldest son.”

What are the odds of this happening? Very, very high.

Barring a (knock-on-wood) career-ending injury, LeBron is expected to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer and play until he’s 40. With Bronny, it’s certain that he’ll turn pro. This early, top collegiate teams (Kentucky, UCLA) are eager to recruit him.

And wouldn’t James & James be the sporting world’s biggest story? LeBron dribbles the ball for a fast break as he throws it up for an alley-oop by Bronny!

The question is: Is Bronny really that good or is it just hype?

LeBron (age 17), left; Bronny (age 16) and his friends

Wherever Bronny plays, fans ask for his autograph. ESPN broadcasts his team’s games. Bronny has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Gyms are packed to watch the 6-foot-3 guard with the number “0.”

I’ve watched YouTube footages of Bronny and he’s quick and athletic. He made his first dunk at the age of 13! Bronny got the brawny genes of his dad.

In his freshman year in 2020, although he averaged only 4.1 points in 15 minutes of play, he did score 17 points in one game.

“He’s a great young man, he doesn’t let anybody phase him,” said his former teammate Zaire Williams. “You’d be surprised all the stuff he has to go through. It’s not fair, but he doesn’t let it faze him.”

Being LeBron’s son is both a blessing and a burden. The pressure is immense and he will always be compared to his father.

It all depends on Bronny.

As Paulo Coelho said: Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.

PBA vs. B.League

Thirdy Ravena and Kobe Paras (photos in this post from Rappler)

Shaq said it best: I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok.

Always the funny man, the 7-foot-1 member of the NBA’s 75 greatest players list is correct.

Sport is entertainment and entertainment means dollars.

The Philippine Basketball Association right now is in a quandary. Founded in 1975, the PBA is Asia’s oldest pro basketball league and ranks as the world’s second oldest (next to the NBA, born in 1946).

The PBA has a money problem. Sure, the league has 12 ballclubs owned by the nation’s largest conglomerates. But, no thanks to the PBA’s salary cap, some are not being paid enough which leads to the exodus.

Kiefer Ravena. His younger brother Thirdy. There’s Kobe Paras. How about Ray Parks, Jr.? Then the Gomez de Liano brothers Javi and Juan. There’s Kemark Carino and the 6-foot-4 Fil-Am who was supposedly one of the hottest prospects for the PBA, Dwight Ramos.

These eight athletes are no ordinary names. Many of them are UAAP heartthrobs with a torrent of social media followers. Kobe Paras, the son of Benjie, is a superstar-in-the-making. All eight of them are not playing in Manila but in Japan.

It’s called the B.League and, while founded recently in 2016, it has aggressively recruited big names from the international market.

Simply put, the Japanese pro league is offering our stars (in particular, the rookies) double or triple the money they’d earn if they were to suit up as an NLEX or Barangay Ginebra point guard.

Take Thirdy Ravena and Ray Parks Jr. They are two-time UAAP MVPs whom we’d love to see playing in Araneta Coliseum or the MOA. Instead, the Iloilo-born Ravena is not playing for the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters but for Japan B League’s San-en NeoPhoenix.

Bobby Ray Parks played with Blackwater Elite and TNT in Manila before heading north to suit up for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins.

Long-term, this exodus of top caliber talent will continue to be a PBA problem. The world has turned borderless. This pandemic has changed our outlook — even how we can quickly buy a product from China via Lazada or Shopee and have it delivered in our doorstep on 12 days.

Same with our players. While before they were stuck in the Philippine archipelago, who would stop the pro leagues from South Korea or China from offering P1 million per month when SMB can only give P450,000?

The other day, I heard NBA Commissioner Adam Silver say that 25% of the NBA players are not native Americans. One out of every four in the NBA today is a foreigner. Globalization has created a borderless planet. There is no preventing our talents from leaving and going to our Asian neighbors or Europe or America.

Money, money, money. The PBA ballclubs have to offer more. The problem is, I’m unsure about the 46-year-old league. And if the PBA’s reputation and following diminishes, so will the incentive of companies to spend more.

It’s all about content. Is the PBA able to continue offering entertainment that excites and energizes?

Back to Normal

It has been 19 months since the world changed in March 2020. That’s when the Covid-19 pandemic affected the lives of the planet’s 7.9 billion people.

The world of sports was impaired. The Tokyo Games was moved 12 months later. Wimbledon got canceled. And while we used to watch 25,639 fans screaming inside an indoor arena, we’ve gotten used to observing empty stadiums with fake spectators plastered on LED screens.

This was 2020. It’s 2021. In Europe and in the U.S. today, mask-less fans sit side-by-side at Premier League games and the U.S. Open. The world of sports has slowly returned to normal.

The NBA is back to live action. This October 19, the 76th season of the NBA begins and all teams get to play 82 games. Two blockbuster encounters are scheduled on Opening Day: the LA Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors; and the defending champs Milwaukee Bucks against the Brooklyn Nets.

LeBron, AD and Westbrook vs. Steph and Klay Thompson. Plus, it’s Giannis vs. Durant and Kyrie. Can it get any better than this double-header?

Yes. The even better news is the return of the boisterous, crazy and loud-voiced human beings who will spillover the arenas.

The NBA has 30 teams. Each city will have varying rules but, in general, we expect tens of thousands back in attendance. (I did a quick research and, since the pandemic struck, the largest sports gathering was the Indy 500 race last May when 135,000 fans packed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.)

With the NBA, what are the Covid-19-related policies?

First, the non-negotiables that all teams must follow. This includes requiring all coaches and staff to be vaccinated. This rule, however, does not apply to the players. It’s estimated that only five percent are unvaccinated — including Kyrie Irving. The 6-foot-2, Melbourne, Austrialia-born guard is in a quandary; New York has strict rules and Kyrie might have to be tested daily before playing.

For the spectators, the league-wide policy includes requiring all fans seated within 15 feet of the court or player benches to either be vaccinated or to show proof of a recent negative test.

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, at least half of the squads will employ a ruling that will allow only the vaccinated or tested spectators to enter.

The strictest is the Toronto Raptors (Canada). They require proof of vaccination. No jab, no entry. Also, fans must wear masks (except when eating or drinking). Three other teams are as strict as the Raptors: the Knicks, Nets and Warriors.

Eleven teams will require either a jab or a test. These include the Pelicans, Lakers, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Clippers, Thunder, Jazz, Bulls, Kings and Celtics.

The rest of the teams are not as strict. The Atlanta Hawks, for example, do not require any proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 test to watch. They don’t even require the fans to wear masks.

I can’t wait for the start of the N.B.A…

Normal. Ballgame. At last.