One on One with Kobe Bryant - July 2011

                       

                       When people ask me what the highlight of my young broadcasting career is, I'm going to tell them about my brush with basketball greatness for the 2nd time. I'm going to tell them about July 2011, about the moment I shook the hand of one of the greatest players to ever play basketball.

                       I'm going to tell them the best moment of my young career was the day I talked to Kobe Bryant, one-on-one, for 5 minutes.

---



                       Truth be told, I used to hate young Kobe Bryant with a passion; brash and vocal about his desire to take on all comers and be the centerpiece of the Los Angeles Lakers despite the presence of a prime Shaq, stubborn and defiant even to the venerable Phil Jackson. He rubbed me the wrong way. I'm used to seeing cats bring it, not sing it. You take the title of Best Ever on the court, not in the papers. You don't call out coaches and teammates and shout to the world how great you think you are, you just prove it. Perhaps I was spoiled by 2nd Three-peat Michael Jordan, who after coming from retirement, became a somewhat nicer teammate while remaining an uncompromising leader and winner for the Chicago Bulls. Perhaps I felt slighted that this kid from PhiladelphiaslashItaly, and 2nd generation baller, challenged Grant Hill, then the L's Mr. Nice Guy, for the title Heir Apparent. Perhaps, while I tried my darnest best to hide it, I felt threatened by this kid, who showed no fear going up against the G.O.A.T. when no one else dared to tug on Superman's cape.

                        I became a Chris Webber-Mike Bibby-Peja Stojakovic Sacramento Kings fan because they were good and they posed a threat to Kobe's Lakers in the West. I became a Tracy McGrady fanboy for a while because he had nice kicks and he was a threat to Kobe in the best gunslinger in the league duel. But Kobe Bryant is brash. He is stubborn and defiant. He simply refused to lose. Yes, it helps to have a 7-1, 300 pound behemoth and a Hall of Fame coach by your side, but Bean wasn't no slouch during their time tearin' up the league. They vanquished the mighty Kings and Kobe outplayed and outlasted T-Mac and any other young high flying scorer who dared challenge him.

                        More than the challenges on the court, Kobe was challenged in the game of real life as well. The Colorado Scandal. His media feud with PhilJax and Shaq. Haters 'round the world. More than the dismal showing of the post-Shaq Lakers, I feel that Bean felt the most damage from the off-court stuff. That's real life, dawg, there ain't no time-outs, no halftime breaks, no overtimes. When that final buzzer sounds in real life, that's it.

                       During this difficult time, Kobe went back to the one thing he loved the most. He went back to basketball. The take-no-prisoners, leave-bodies-in-his-wake type of basketball. He likes to call it "Balls to the Wall". He trained. He lifted weights. He shot the lights out at the gym by himself, hoisting jumper after jumper. He got his life and game back on track. The results include an 81-point game, a string of 50 and 60 point games, a regular season MVP, back-to-back NBA Championships and Finals MVP awards, and an Olympic Gold Medal.

                      And most of all, respect and recognition. Y'all can love him or hate him, but regardless of what you feel about him, you gotta respect the best in the game.

                      ---

                       I was first on deck for the interview session since I arrived hours before everyone else. I shared the room with some of the industry's best: Slam Magazine's Mico Halili, ABSCBN's TJ Manotoc, Solar's Jinno Rufino, TV5's Chiqui Roa-Puno. Yeah, I made sure I was there early. I was pretty excited.

                      When I finally shook Kobe Bryant's hand, I had to stop myself from grinning like a frickin idiot. I was telling myself "Be cool. BE COOL. It's no big deal. Yeah so he's the best player in the world today. But be cool." I had the most ruthless competitor in the game today for 5 minutes. So I decide to pick his brain about what drives him.

                      Kobe lights up as he hears me recount his epic battle with the Boston Celtics. He smiles as he sees me imitate the scowl he showed in the finals against the Orlando Magic. I ask him about what drives him at this point in his career, what he has left to prove:

                     "It's always the challenge of winning. I don't necessarily feel like I have to prove something to somebody, in order to perform at a high level, this is just who I am, when I get out there on the floor, I'm ready to go, ready to win." 

                      He's been in the country four times (once with Adidas as a youngster, thrice with Nike) and he relishes each and every visit, because he admits he has never seen a country so smitten with the game of basketball like the good 'ol PHL.

                      Kobe Bean Bryant, for lack of a better term, is a basketball nut. It's like he was bred to have a basketball in his hands. As a kid, he told me when he's not out playing (against older, bigger, faster kids to toughen himself up), he'd watch taped NBA games sent to him by relatives, usually Michael Jordan and the Bulls or Magic Johnson and the Lakers. So he feels right at home in this country of fellow basketball nuts who are only too willing to welcome the best player in the world today. He says he will definitely try the beaches in the future, and maybe even sample the local cuisine like sizzling sisig. Thanks to yours truly, Kobe has learned how to say "Salamat" to his Pinoy fans.

                       "I enjoy sharing the game of basketball, and Manila of all the places I've traveled, has so much passion and enthusiasm for the game. That's why I love coming back because I enjoy being around kids, I enjoy being around people who have the same passion as I do."

                       On this side of the planet, it's not everyday I get to meet of the greatest athletes in the world not from our country. It's not everyday I get to meet a basketball player whose name, image, and likeness is on most of my shirts and shoes with the swoosh. So when people ask me about that one day in my career that I'll never forget, I'm going to tell them proudly that for 5 minutes, I got Kobe Bryant one-on-one.

                        Until I get Michael Jordan one-on-one for an interview, this moment with Kobe Bryant will be on top of my list.

PRIDE

                        Juan Manuel Marquez, with his counterpunching brilliance, granite chin, and the heart of a true Mexican warrior, proved that he's a real bad motha'. In a fight he was supposed to lose badly to my main man Manny Pacquiao, Dinamita basically told his critics to shut the heck up by landing big time counters and left uppercuts. I swear, that counter right straight-left uppercut 1-2 combo landed flush on Manny so many times me and my little brother were the ones cringing for Manny. Scared for the 8-division world champ. Scared for supposedly the best in the world.

                        Manny Pacquiao, with his otherworldy stamina, blitzing handspeed, and iron will, stood toe-to-toe with his vaunted foe. He fought a smart fight, darting in-and-out, landing combinations and sticking Marquez with jabs to measure the distance before unleashing his left. He drove straight into the kill zone to risk getting hit by the best counterpuncher in the game today because he needed to score. Manny knew he had to be careful, but he still tried to pound his foe to kingdom come.

                        I've said it a million times over and I'm going to say it again: aside from Manny, I fear no other boxer than Juan Manuel Marquez. The guy is simply the best at what he does, and that is to counter. He makes you fight his fight and the moment you fall into his trap, BOOM, right straights and uppercuts all day. Even Freddie Roach admitted that no other fighter has Manny figured out better than JuanMa.

                       I've had the privilege to have covered Manny Pacquiao up-close-and-personal, and if there's one thing I can say about the guy, it's that Manny Pacquiao is a very, very proud man. I've seen how he pushes himself to the limit to make sure he brings it every time he steps in the ring. He's fought them all - skilled veterans like Erik Morales, big bruisers like Antonio Margarito, ring legends like Marco Antonio Barrera and Oscar De La Hoya - and he always found a way to dominate them. He's racked up accolade after accolade on the way to be called the best in the world, and he actually didn't even have to prove himself against a foe who has come close to beating him. Business-wise, his camp could've just focused on the bigger draw against Floyd Mayweather Jr. But Manny Pacquiao is a proud man. Technically, he has already defeated Marquez twice if not for a crucial mistake one of the judges made in their first fight followed by a split decision in 2008, and to risk himself to a possible loss would've only hurt his legacy and a chance for the megabuck showdown with Money Mayweather.

                       But when the chance to fight Juan Manuel Marquez came up, did you hear Manny refuse? Did you hear him make excuses and say he's got nothing to prove against the Mexican legend? Manny didn't. He stood up and accepted the challenge and promised to train for the fight of his life against his arch-nemesis. He basically ran himself ragged (post fight quotes say Manny suffered cramps from the 4th round onwards) just to make sure he left no stones unturned against a technical ring warrior whose game seems tailor made to beat him.

                     If anything, Manny proved he had the balls to face his greatest challenger for the third time. Compared to some people who only care about their streaks, Manny cares for the people who wanted to see him and Marquez duke it out for the third time. When it's all said and done and Manny decides to hang up his gloves, people ought to look beyond the bodies the Pacman left in his wake, beyond the spectacular stoppages and down-the-wire finishes. They ought to look at his courage to fight the best out there. That should be Manny Pacquiao's legacy.

                     The fact that Manny didn't dominate from opening bell only proves that Marquez is truly the Joker to Pacquiao's Batman (or if you're a Marquez fan you can turn it the other way around), the familiar foil for the Pinoy protagonist. Both of them the best with their respective boxing styles, both of them able to raise the level of their games whenever they step in the ring. Manny likes to throw, JuanMa likes to counter. One blessed with tremendous physical gifts, one armed with incredible technique. They can exchange blows until the world crumbles but the fact of the matter is that these two will almost always have a close fight because of their styles. But that doesn't mean Pacquiao or Marquez is the lesser man because of the inability to dominate the fight. If you ask me, it just means that Pacquiao and Marquez are truly the greatest of rivals, each of them willing to duke it out, no round given or taken.

                    Manny Pacquiao had everything to lose in this fight - the WBO Welterweight title, his number 1 ranking as Pound-for-Pound king of boxing, his aura of invincibility. But Pacquiao rose to the challenge to give the people what they wanted - to see the greatest of rivals clash once more. Manny Pacquiao doesn't run from challenges. He knocks them the heck out. Manny Pacquiao is a proud man who will fight whoever, whenever. That should be his legacy.

PBA Superstars

                      I was talking to a couple of friends and colleagues in the sports writing biz yesterday while enjoying PBA Wednesday at the Big Dome and it made me happy to be in the company of sports nuts just like myself. We broke the games down, came up with our respective wisecracks about this team or the look-alike of that player, and weighed in on the high level of basketball you can enjoy especially when you watch live.

                     The exhilaration you feel when you watch these titans of the hardwood play live, these Picassos with 94 feet of canvass to call their own, is incomparable. You can literally feel your heart climb up to your throat when you see Arwind Santos streaking down the court alone because you know it's gonna be a slam dunk. You've been part of that Big Dome chorus of "OHHHHHH" whenever Japeth Aguilar swats shots to the 15th row. You've stood in ovation and cheered in awe of speedsters like Jason Castro and clutch shooters like James Yap. And just like me, you can never get enough heroics from Mark Caguioa as you join the throng of fans in chanting GI-NE-BRA as they buck the odds and come back from behind to turn an almost certain loss into victory.

                     My main man Jaemark Tordecilla summed it up best: "Iba pa rin ang level ng basketball sa PBA lalo na if you watch live. Sa college basketball, take away the fandom, you'll see the difference in skill and talent level." Later in the night, I had a blast with my sportswriting MJ (which makes me Kobe hehe) Rick Olivares talking about the players we liked the most.

                    Thus the inspiration for this list - my favorite PBA players today.

                    ARWIND SANTOS - He dunks. He rebounds. He blocks shots and sinks high-arcing pull up jumpers. He can shoot the three, smile at the camera, and always points to The One Above to thank Him for the blessings of basketball in his life, staying humble and hungry. Is there anything else you can ask for in a player? This local boy is certainly The Man right now, a player from the masses, for the masses, dominating in the highest level of hoops in the country.

                     PAUL LEE - I have been a fan of his since his college days in UE. His game is built on courage and street swag, with a constant need to prove himself and leave his signature on the game. Dynamic guard who will find a way to destroy defenses with his brilliance with the basketball, whether it be scoring inside-out, passing, or rebounding. Relishes the spotlight and pressure moments. You can be Kobe frickin Bryant guarding him and Paul will still do his thing and take you to the rim for his trademark double-pump pasabit shots. I'm still in pain that he didn't go to Ginebra to be its future star, a team that Paul told me was his favorite PBA team growing up.

                    CHRIS LUTZ - my favorite player from Smart-Gilas. Bullstrong slasher and determined defender, always looking to put the clamps on the opposition's most dangerous scorer. Athletic and a certified basketball junkie, always looking for a way to be on top of his game. A player I'd recommend to kids to emulate. And Chris, I wanna see you dunk in a game, come on now!

                   GARY DAVID - I've always told people that Gary David is the best scorer in Pinoy hoops. He has an endless arsenal of finishing moves at the rim and a pure stroke to his jumpshot. He will go through you, over you, around you, and will leave you scratching your head at his ability to put the ball in the bucket. I'm glad he's turning heads now. If he can stay consistent at around 20++ ppg, with a couple of monster 30 and 40 point games on occasion, and if Marcio Lassiter continues to play Pippen to his MJ, Powerade can string together some wins.

                   KERBY RAYMUNDO - I will never forget Kerby yelling to the camera during an interview, after beating San Miguel (I'm not sure), basta Rico Villanueva was BPC for that conference. Kerby was asked how he feels after leading his team to victory. Kerby yelled: "ALAM KO SA SARILI KO, AKO ANG MVP!!!" then walked away. BAD. ASS. That aside, a healthy Kerby is a low-post scoring artist. Drop steps, pump-fakes, fade-away jumpers, and a face-up drive that's difficult to stop because he can take it strong or pull up from 15 feet.

                   JC INTAL - my favorite Blue Eagle of all time, now playing for my all time favorite PBA team. Has all the tools to be a superstar in the league. At one point, when I think Ginebra's stars were on loan to the national team, JC stepped up and became Ginebra's go-to-guy, carrying Ginebra to the playoffs where the team just fell short. But man was he balling out of his mind. He was slashing and finishing strong at the rim, sinking his mid range bank shots and three pointers, and setting up teammates for easy buckets. I hope he gets his groove back soon.

                   And of course the finishing touch....

                   MARK CAGUIOA - The Franchise. He inherited the proverbial torch from Ginebra's past superstars with his unbelievable skills with the leather, his grit, and his heart. This guy plays Never Say Die basketball and does it with flair. This dude was a walking 30, 40 point game waiting to happen. Always willing to strap the team on his back and single-handedly tow them to the finish line. Blessed with the ability to ignite the crowd with his killer crossover, dipsy-do layups, teardrops, and three-point bombs, not to mention his early 2000s blond 'do, Mark The Spark made sure Ginebra was still the toast of the town even after the glory days of the 80s and 90s. As he aged and the killer speed sort of waned, with injuries piling up, Mark being the never-say-die type found a way to refine his game. While he may not be blitzing past defenses like he used to, he refined a part of his game to still be a dangerous scorer: the mid-range pull up j. Coupled with his still razor-sharp ball-handling, The Spark still proves to be a dangerous scorer in the PBA, armed with smarts, experience, and that heart that will never-say-die until he hangs up his sneakers.  

IT'S THE SHOES! Air Jordans

                   

                       This is what a genuinely happy man looks like. Air Jordan XI Space Jams on my feet on a Saturday night. Doesn't get any better than this.

(Air Jordan XI Space Jams)

                    I will never play the game of basketball Like Mike. I can't dunk, I can't hang in the air, stick my tongue out, and sink-dipsy-do layups after like 5 seconds, and I topped out at 5'7". The closest I will ever be to Jordan is in NBA 2k where I own all challengers with the '96 Bulls. But hey, I may not be able to rule hard like Jordan, I can most certainly try and dress up Like Mike.

                   It's the shoes. Whenever I lace these bad boys up, I feel like I'm legit-ly reppin MJ. I feel like I'm wearing a piece of basketball history. I've only worn Js on the court twice in my life; once in the 5th grade wearing OG AJ XIIIs during P.E., and a month ago rockin white/red XIIs for my last game ever as a GMA7 employee. I don't think I'm worthy of playin in my Js, I just rock 'em to look fly.

 

(Air Jordan XII White/Reds)

                        Any Jordan fanatic must have felt that at least once in his life; flashing that smug look as we count the heads that turn in the mall when we walk past them rockin our Js fresh out the box. The satisfaction in our hearts whenever we have Jordans on our feet, as we swish a fadeaway J with a hand in our face on the playgrounds. The genuine joy we feel as we watch re-runs of our favorite Michael Jordan moments on TV, with stacks upon stacks of Air Jordans in our rooms. The pride in being able to say, hey, I got those exact same Jordans that Money wore when he played in (insert memorable Jordan moment here) 

                        

(Air Jordan XIII Flints)

                Aside from the second three-peat Js (XI, XII, XIII), I got white/red 1s, and the Black/White/Maize XX3s (are they the Stealths?) Hit y'all up soon with those and the kicks I use to ball in.  

The Sanctuary

Whenever I'm on the court, I leave all my worries out of bounds.

The basketball court has been my sanctuary since I taught myself how to play. My own Fortress of Solitude. On the court, under the summer sun, wind in my face as I race down to finish coast-to-coast layups at 5:30 in the morning, sweat dripping down my arms after shooting my heart out at 1 in the afternoon. Heck, if the village turned the lights on I'd keep shooting under the stars.

I don't claim to be invincible around these parts, but I hold my own. I've won and lost my fair share on the court. I can't remember how many times I've played 1on1, 2on2, 3on3, 5on5 pickup ball, but I can remember the faces of the guys I've played, beaten, lost to. Some of em have become friends. Dear friends, in fact, that even if we don't know each other's numbers or connected on Facebook and Twitter, we talk as if we've known each other forever. Then we go hard at each other in character building games, laughable games, rain or shine we be ballin', son. If I win, I get to gloat all the way home and tell everyone - my little brother, my mom, my dog - how I nailed the game clinching hoop.

The game has always given me sanctuary. For a few precious minutes or hours, I forget all of my problems, worries, and heartaches. I am granted an opportunity to sort things out as I set my sights on that orange hoop with the rock in my hand. I get to block out distractions, filter my thoughts and focus on my goals as I launch jumpers again and again. I get to talk to God in my own little way, and He gets me to listen in the only place other than the church where I feel most at peace.

If I were to physically meet God anywhere other than the church, I would like to meet him on the court. We can shoot around, play one-on-one (hopefully he'd let me win a game but I doubt it - ever since I was a kid God wanted me to appreciate my blessings through hard work which is cool), because I believe He was right there with me, during those early morning shootarounds, teaching me how to survive life through the game of basketball.

I learned that I should never force the issue and let the game come to me, take what the defense gives me. I learned how to play hard and smart. I learned when to defer and when to take over. I learned how to earn victory and accept defeat. I learned, that when life gives you a shove, you shove back. You never back down.

Whenever I'm on the court, I feel at peace. Whenever I play, that's when I feel the most alive.

One-on-One with Clyde "The Glide" Drexler

SMOOTH: (adjective) - free from difficulties or impediments; even and uninterrupted in flow or flight; excessively and often artfully suave <he is a smooth operator>.

That's how I would describe Clyde the Glide's game: silky smooth. Whether he's pulling up from 15 feet to drain jumpers over defenders, or when he's effortlessly gliding to the basket for another signature tomahawk poster, Clyde Drexler makes basketball look effortless, it's unfair.

The 6'7" former Portland Trailblazer and Houston Rocket talks a smooth game too. Oooooweeee look out now. The guy dishes puns and punchlines the way he broke ankles and swished J's during his playing days.

Among all the NBA stars and legends I've met, The Glide is by far the humblest one of em. Kobe was cheerful but you could feel that he could switch to killer mode when provoked on the court, Gary Payton talked and goofed around a LOT, Tim Hardaway was fun as heck. Clyde's different in that he speaks of his experiences with tempered nostalgia, always careful to point out how much he respected the game, his teammates and ESPECIALLY his opponents. 

He smiled as I asked him about the talented Trailblazers of the late 80s to the early 90s. "Kevin Duckworth and Terry Porter were some fine teammates. Them, Jerome Kersey, I truly enjoyed playing the game with those guys and I hope they enjoyed playing with me."

He lights up even brighter as he recounts his 1992 Dream Team experience. "That was one of my ultimate experiences, to be on a team with superstars like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, and we won the gold medal. It was an honor for me to be part of the team."

On reviving Phi Slamma Jamma as he teamed up with Hakeem Olajuwon during the Rockets' '95 title run: "Hakeem's one of my best friends, and it really made me happy to be able to play with him and win a title."

But if you ask the Glide, it's not so much the accolades he racked up - 10-time All Star, NBA Champion, Olympic Gold medalist, one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players - that makes him happily look back at his career, but it was every single day he put on the number 22 and went out to play the game that he loved with every single bit of his being. "Everytime I put my jersey on, I went out there and did my best, because I was doing what I loved. How many people can say that? The best thing about my playing days are those playing days, every single day that I went out to do what I love, and that's to play basketball".

                                                                              ***

RIVALRY BREWING: ATENEO VS FEU

               ONE of my sportswriting heroes Rick Olivares called it first: there has been a rivalry brewing the last few years in college basketball. Loyola's high-flying Blue Eagles vs Morayta's fearsome Tamaraws. While not as ballyhooed as the former's age old rivalry from Taft Avenue, Ateneo vs FEU has been there the last few years. I remember Leo Avenido and company denying Rico Villanueva's Eagles a trip to the finals in 2000, Gerard Jones and Cesar Catli punishing the Rich Alvarez and Wesley Gonzales led Eagles in the 2003 finals from inside and out, then there was LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar joining forces to overcome Arwind Santos' Tams in 2005, JC Intal's dagger in the hearts of Jonas Villanueva's squad in 2006 to deny them entrance to the Final 4, and don't get me started on the 33 point, 21 rebound game of Rabeh Al Hussaini in a loss to Mark Barroca's Tams. Each of these games, classics, I tell ya.


And so here we are again, Ateneo vs FEU for collegiate basketball's premiere prize. Last year FEU decimated the league with UAAP MVP RR Garcia and bruising big Reil Cervantes, Aldrech Ramos, and top rook Terrence Romeo, while Ateneo relied on the teamwork and execution of rising stars Nico Salva, Justin Chua, Kirk Long, and eventual finals MVP Ryan Buenafe. The Eagles put on a clinic on the court, sweeping Morayta's goliaths with championship savvy. This time around, it's Ateneo with the regular season romp and FEU rounding out into form deep in the season. Who shall seize basketball immortality?


CENTER: Ateneo has a mix of bigs who can provide power (Slaughter), savvy (Chua), toughness (Golla), and defense (Erram). That, and the best big man coach in the land. Coach Norman Black's staple in his gameplan has always been that tough, strapping big to anchor the paint the best way he knows how. While each center has specialties and weaknesses, Coach Norman has the luxury of swapping bigs, depending on what skill set the game requires.


FEU will have the comebacking Pipo Noundou to help out the athletic Russell Escoto, 6'10" Chris Sentcheu, and Clarence Foronda. Aldrech Ramos will also play center when needed. While Coach Bert Flores' bigs aren't exactly Mythical Five members, they are long, athletic, and utterly dedicated to do the dirty work required to free up their guards, where most of the offensive production comes from.

It will be a tall order to stop Ateneo's bigs, but if focused and if they attack with energy, FEU has a chance to dominate the paint for good stretches.

Still, advantage ATENEO.

FORWARDS: Kobe Bryant-trained fanboy Nico Salva has been balling absolutely out of his mind. Save for a couple games when he went cold, Ateneo's Venomenon has been playing at an All-Star veteran level, draining jumpers, scoring in the paint, slashing to the hoop, consistently up the leaderboard with star rooks Slaughter and Keifer Ravena. Kirk Long, as always, reliable on both ends on the floor, locking up opposing scorers and turning on the jets for fastbreak layups. Bash brothers Bacon Austria and Zags Gonzaga plus Oping Sumalinog have also shown sparks of what they can do on occasion. 

FEU's plethora of forwards, like their centers, do very well as a frontcourt unit. All stand at 6'4" to 6'6" and play tough, hardnosed basketball. Aldrech Ramos anchors this frontcourt unit well, and Carl Bryan Cruz, Mark Bringas, defensive ace Ping Exciminiano and the comebacking JR Cawaling always play with a lot of hustle.

While Salva and Long are brilliant, the bench forwards have yet to show that they can truly pick up the slack when the starting forwards sit down. Von Pessumal and Gwynne Capacio show promise, and will be great players in the future, but they're still raw. FEU's forwards are veteran bruisers, and with Cawaling coming back, the Tams have a threat from deep if he catches fire. Here's where the Eagles will miss Buenafe and his skill set and high hoops IQ to relieve pressure from Long and Salva. The starters have to truly turn it up in the Finals for the Eagles to pull away.

Slight advantage, ATENEO.

GUARDS: Let's get this out of the way: Keifer Ravena, the Phenom, the Blue Mamba, whatever basketball messiah monicker you wanna call him, is FOR REAL. This kid is a basketball dynamo who will be the next big thing in Pinoy hoops. His point guard Emman Monfort has been extremely reliable as Coach Norman's floor general, running the Blue Eagle offense while disrupting passing lanes on the other end. Juami Tiongson is steady at the point, with Zags ready to provide intensity off the pine.

But FEU boasts of the best backcourt in the league with RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo. Add spitfire Mike Tolomia off the bench and Coach Bert Flores boasts of a three-pronged guard attack that is a nightmare for opposing defenses. He has used all three on the court often and with great success; quick, aggressive, and all armed with 3-point range. JR Cawaling, 6'4" and all, if he puts his head on the game, can be a threat at the 2 with his range and height. Exciminiano alsom plays some guard especially when FEU faces explosive backcourt scorers.

Despite Keifer's talent and Monfort's veteran smarts, Tiongson, Gonzaga, and at times playing guard Austria have to provide more help. The Eagles' 3-point shooting has been virtually non-existent as exposed in that loss vs Adamson. They will be facing a young and hungry guard corps eager for revenge after getting shut down in last year's finals.

Advantage, FEU.

How both coaches shuffle personnel will be crucial. Will Coach Bert Flores go big to match up with Ateneo's size? Which guard combo will Coach Norman Black go with to counter FEU's guard attack?

I expect the series to go down in 3 games. Tough call because both teams have their strengths and glaring weaknesses. Both coaches have their work cut out for them in order to compensate for their weaknesses. If Ateneo somehow finds its touch from deep, it'll be over easy. If FEU's bigs find the energy to defend the paint, expect the Tams to win it all. But in my opinion, Ateneo's defense and halfcourt execution will carry them through. I predict an Eagles win 2-1 for the 4peat.

The Exclamation Point: Pacquiao vs Marquez 3

                LIKE any (or most, coz some fight fans enjoy 12-round wars) Pinoy boxing fan, there's nothing I love more than watching my main man Manny Pacquiao blast his opponents to kingdom come. Ever since he decided to decimate a lineup of some of the game's biggest names, Manny's been fascinating in the ring: an old school Pinoy brawler, ready to dish as much as he takes, having the grace and footspeed to dance around his opponent, dropping bombs from all angles. Superwelterweight Michael Medina, Pac's sparmate for the Margarito fight told me: "Fighting Manny is like fighting a tornado. One minute he's here, then there, then there, next thing you know he's blown you away."

But there's this one guy who claims capable of silencing the storm: Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez, he of the slick counterpunching and ring smarts, who drew with Manny the first time they clashed (one of the judges later admitted he made a mistake in scoring the bout because Manny scored three knockdowns), then lost by a hairline in a controversial split on 2008.

When I met Dinamita in Las Vegas during the Pacquiao-Mosley fight, he eagerly told me about what he would've done against the Pacman if he were in Mosley's shoes. While we watched slow-mo replay on the big screen, he pointed out Manny's wide misses on his right hooks and some split second openings in Manny's defense that Shane couldn't capitalize on. "If that was me, I would've thrown a quick 1-2 when Manny doesn't expect it."

No secret: Dinamita would like nothing more than to finish the job he started in 2004, and that is to bring the Pacman down to earth, to show the boxing world that the Pinoy pugilist is mortal, like the rest of us, that he can be hurt.

While Marquez fumed, Pacquiao dominated. At 147 pounds, his hit list includes De la Hoya, Cotto, Clottey, Margarito, Mosley, men all bigger than he is, but he beat them all up. Speed, skills, savvy. Wham! The whole bloody lot of em. Manny should go all Brad Pitt in his role as Achilles and ask "Is there no one else?" Until Money Mayweather steps up to the plate, no boxer on the planet is as feared as the dancing destroyer from General Santos City/Saranggani. Until then, it's Pacquiao-Marquez 3. For Marquez, to finish the job. For Manny, to slay demons from the past.

While Manny destroyed some of the baddest bruisers in boxing, they're not as quick, as smooth, and as deadly explosive as Dinamita on the counter. When you have Manny going all berserker barrage on you, throwing inhuman amounts of combinations, and STILL having the speed to bob and weave past your punches, you need TIMING. Marquez has proven in their past fights that the best way to hit Manny is during those split seconds of vulnerability after he throws a big punch. One punch is all Dinamita needs to get the party started.

On the flipside, Marquez has to fight a perfect fight if he wants to dethrone the most complete fighter in the world today. Speed and power. Heart and grit. Smarts and toughness. Manny can beat you early, outbox you late, run you ragged, and just flat out knock you the F out. At his natural weight, Manny is stronger and just as fast as the Filipino dynamo Marquez fought at featherweight.

Manny Pacquiao said it best. Simple and sweet. "Panahon na para tapusin to."

TOGETHER

SMART-GILAS PILIPINAS (philippinenewsdaily.com)

                    FOR a sports loving country starving for international sports success outside of Pambansang Kamao, Pound-for-pound King, and my main man Manny Pacquiao, the national football team Azkals what with their gritty defense and giant-killing ways fit the bill as the country's newest sports heroes. And hey, it helped that they were pogi too. It doesn't take much for the casual fan to really rally behind this team, which boasted of hungry vets and talented newcomers and truly exemplified team play, as required in football. Accolades well deserved, especially if you hear about what the team had to go through a few years ago when they had close to zero support.

Kinda lost in the mix was the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team. The Azkals were killin on the pitch, Manny still bludgeoned opponents to kingdom come, and the hometown crowd was lovin it. Gilas dominated in SEABA and their PBA guest stint, sure, but these weren't the giants the country wanted them to slay.

It's been years since the Gilas program's inception, and after gaining valuable experience playing against pro teams, veteran international teams, participating in the best camps overseas and finally having a naturalized big to equalize the opponents' usual height advantage, the team's best chance to test their mettle would be right now.

One thing I think the Gilas program wanted to rectify was lack of execution. With a solid pool and program in place, players developed chemistry. It helps to know exactly where you're shooters are going to be. It helps when you find the exact timing of a lob pass for a Japeth Aguilar jam. It helps to know that when the opposition gets too physical, your boys have your back. It helps when you have teammates you can clown with off the court, and men who will stand by you on the court.

The Gilas program also fine tuned players for their positions. This team can get a on a really hot streak with shooters across the board, they have the frontline size with Marcus Douthit and Japeth Aguilar, and when they get Kelly Williams and Jimmy Alapag, they'll have significant international and pro experience along with Dondon Hontiveros and the ageless Asi Taulava.

I always tell people us Pinoys probably have the best individual basketball skill set in Asia. We can play physical (Asi), pretty (Caguioa), above the rim (Aguilar), or we can play downright crazy (Willie frickin Miller!). No race does the kanto-ball-dipsy-do-alahoy-layup better than us Pinoys. While that shot might not be Coach Rajko Toroman's favorite, I'm sure he sees that our players have the skill, and now that we have that much-coveted pivotman to help our locals patrol the paint, all it takes now is to play hard, play smart, and play TOGETHER.

This Gilas team has the potential to be great. We saw how they shot their way to victory vs Hamed Haddadi and Iran, how they pounded Chinese-Taipei into submission, and how they fought Jordan to a close finish despite a 4-point loss in the ongoing Jones Cup. So what say you, sports fans? Why don't we get behind this team and show the world what we can do together?

The Arrival

I tend to refer to myself as part-time news correspondent, full-time sports aficionado. Because I never feel more alive than when I'm up and about, covering the games' biggest stars, re-living moments etched in athletic lore, and telling tales of glory to one and all who would care to lend an ear.

I started out as a freelance writer for college sports while studying, and my God, I never felt more alive.

That much was clear to me from the outset: I love sports, and making a career out of writing and talking about the games I love would be the fulfillment of a dream.

I've been pretty the lucky the past couple or three years. I've met Kobe Bryant twice and talked to him 1on1 for 5 minutes, I've become pretty friendly with Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao (played in the same backcourt with him even), I've seen NBA stars and NBA legends hoop, I've gotten to know our national athletes and seen them in glory and defeat, I've traveled from GenSan to Las Vegas and back, I've shivered in Canada and sweated in Laos, just to bring back tales that inspire, of men and women who shed blood, sweat, and tears for their moment of glory in their respective battlefields.

What better job in the world than to be the herald for these Titans of our time?

This is why I am resurrecting that part of me which has been asleep for the last 3 years. While I have been blessed with the means to broadcast my craft to the rest of the world, I feel that two minutes of voice and video cannot bring justice to the the games greatest names. A lot can happen in two minutes, but two minutes ain't enough to tell my side of the story; like how it felt to pick Kobe Bryant's brain about Kobe the Killer on the court, or how surreal it was to stand beside Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra in 2010 as his assistant coach for a day, teaching kids how to play the game of basketball properly.

Michael Jordan felt like he was in Heaven everytime he stepped on the court. I feel like I'm in Heaven everytime I stand in the frontlines of sports history.

So hello again, dearest sports blog. We're gonna have a lot of fun together.