1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: I'm getting like goosebumps with us right now, because I 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: think sometimes you don't realize how dangerous a situation you 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: were in until you step back and you think about it. 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: At that time, the Marcos government had just been deposed 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: and the Akino's had just been elected the new presidents, 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: and it was a real tumultuous time politically in the country. 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: And in the middle of all of that was the NPA, 8 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: I think it was called the New People's Army, and 9 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: they were communists back they were just this divisive for us, 10 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: and they were holding people hostage and blowing up anything 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: that was American. For example, the McDonald's, who I went 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: to from time to time, was bombed one day when 13 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: I fortunately when I wasn't there. In nineteen eighty six, 14 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: Andy Thompson was one of two American players on the 15 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: roster of a Philippine Basketball Association team called the ten 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: Y Rummakers. The other was Rob Williams, a first round 17 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: draft pick of the Denver Nuggets who spent two seasons 18 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: in the NBA before finding his way to the BA. 19 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: The team was packed into a bus, traveling to a 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: game outside of Manila and winding their way along roads 21 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: cut into the dense tropical forest and mountain passes of 22 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: the Philippines all around you when you look when you 23 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: get outside of the city, of this jungle everywhere. And 24 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: so we stopped at a little country general store to 25 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: get something to eat. And while we stopped, it was 26 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: a scene right out of like Apocalypse now, where the 27 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: jungle just opens up. All these rebels and these this 28 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: militia group comes out of nowhere, brnade launchers M sixteen's, 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, fifty Calvin machine guns. It was unbelievable, and 30 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: I knew exactly what they were. I had been reading 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: how kidnappings are coming down here, especially for Americans, and 32 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: so I'm thinking the worst. And then I see they 33 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: talked to the coaches in the front front of the bus. 34 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: He gets out and he talks to them, and then 35 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: he's an andy rubbed come out. My heart drops. I 36 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: think I'm gonna get kidnapped and health ransom. And so 37 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: we look at each other. We get up to the 38 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: front of the bus. I walk out. This is little kid, 39 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 1: maybe twelve years old, holding an M sixteen. A little kid. 40 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: So I go and try to give him a high five, 41 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: and he kind of recoils and I was like, that 42 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: was stupid. So I get out. Rob comes out and 43 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: the coach has just become everything's cool. He says, these 44 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: guys are huge ton Dy fans, and I was like, okay. 45 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: He said, they just want to meet you. He said 46 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: that they have an outpost and they watch all of 47 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 1: our games. We were the defending champ, so I guess 48 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: everybody knew who ton d I wasn't and even in 49 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: the countryside. But we came out. They shook our hands, 50 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: We gave him some high fives. It was no autographs. 51 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: They just wanted to meet us. Coach said, okay, now 52 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 1: go get back on the bus, and we got back 53 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: on the bus visibly shaken, and we didn't say anything. 54 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: The coaches got back on the bus and we drove away. 55 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: And to this day, I still think I am so 56 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: fortunate that these were like tomdwy fans and not fans 57 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: of Janette By or Toyota or somebody else. What a story. 58 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: I just got goose bumps. In today's episode, we're going 59 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: to take you inside the Philippines Professional League the PBA 60 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: and explore the world of imports American pros who get 61 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: hired to reinforce local rosters. These are some of the 62 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 1: best players on the planet outside of the NBA, and 63 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: in many cases they are former NBA veterans themselves looking 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: to extend their careers and see the world. You're listening 65 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: to Hoops Paradise, the Philippines love of the game, brought 66 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: to you by iHeartRadio and the NBA Basketball Basketball We're 67 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: in our Janellas were standing tallible SETI Bison. So, Nico, 68 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: you're kind of a big deal in the world of 69 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: Philippine basketball, right, I mean, I'm no Cassidy Hover if 70 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: that's what you're getting at. By the way, isn't that 71 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: you I saw on ESPN last week? Not me. I'm 72 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: just another Meadi guy with seventy five different side hustles, 73 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: so humble, just a kid from Marquina City. No. But 74 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: the reason I was asking this is I want to know, 75 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: knock on wood, that this doesn't ever happen. But just 76 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: in case you ever find yourself on a bus in 77 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: some far flung province outside of Manila and that bus 78 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: gets stopped on some empty stretch of road by a 79 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: group of armed rebels, are they going to drop their 80 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 1: weapons and ask you for autographs and selfies because they 81 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: know you from watching college and PBA games. Absolutely not, 82 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: I'll tell you that, absolutely not. I do not have 83 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: the Andy Thompson magic touch. I will probably FaceTime you, though, 84 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: just to prove to them that I know the lady 85 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: on ESPN. So you'd better pick up I will. I 86 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: absolutely will. Enough said. But look as amazing as it 87 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: was to hear. Andy Thompson, the brother of thirteen year 88 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: NBA veteran and former member of the Showtime Lakers Michael Thompson, 89 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 1: as well as the uncle of Warriors guard Clay Thompson, 90 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: described that scene on the bus. There was one minor 91 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: detail that got stuck in my head and I need 92 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: you to explain it for us. Well, that's why that's 93 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: why I'm here. Ask and ye shall receive. Okay. So, 94 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: Andy Thompson was playing for a PBA team called the 95 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: ten y Rummakers, Like, what kind of name is that? 96 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: I knew that's what you're gonna ask. I knew that's 97 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: where you're going. Yeah, So before we go deep on 98 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: former NBA players who've dazzled Philippine fans as PBA imports, 99 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: You're right, we do need to do a full breakdown 100 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: of the PBA in episode two. We heard all the 101 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: ways that the founding franchises of the PBA used the 102 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: NBA as a model when they established the first pro 103 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: basketball league in Asia, but we didn't really get into 104 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: the nuts and bolts of how THEBA operates. And while 105 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: the p BA has taken cues from the NBA throughout 106 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: its entire forty seven year history, the league also has 107 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: plenty of quicks that won't make immediate sense to basketball 108 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,239 Speaker 1: chuckies in the States. Like a team called the rum Makers. 109 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: Like a team called the rum Makers, I see that 110 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 1: you have a lot to learn, and the PBA a 111 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: name like the rum Makers. It's not an exception, it's 112 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: the rule. You see. From the very beginning nineteen seventy five, 113 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,679 Speaker 1: the league was founded with a business model built on promotion. Sure, 114 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: it would make money through live attendance, merchandise sales, corporate sponsorships, 115 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: and TV rights, just like the NBA does. But for 116 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: franchise owners, the greatest value in owning a PBA team 117 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 1: then and still today comes from churning every second of 118 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: every game into free advertising. In a country full of 119 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: basketball overs, you can't ask for better brand aware than 120 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: having the best Filipino players and former NBA talents wearing 121 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: jerseys that say day Rummakers across the chest. So unlike 122 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: the NBA, the teams in the Philippines aren't named after 123 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: traditional sports mascots like your Chicago Bulls. They're named after 124 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: whatever business the franchise owner wants to turn into a 125 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: household name. In eighty six, that same season that Andy 126 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: Thompson played for the Rum Company Thandway, other teams in 127 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: the league had names like the Sun Miguel Beiermen, the 128 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: Great Taste Coffeemakers, and the Alaska Milkmen. In the PBA 129 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: season that's going on right now, the beer Men are 130 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: still around, along with squads carrying names like the Phoenix 131 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: Super LPG fuel Masters and the Rayner Shine elasto Painters. 132 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: For decades, the most populars even the country has named 133 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: after a local brand of gin called h Nebra San Miguel. 134 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: They are the gin Kings, So when they're on a 135 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: twelve zero run against an opposing team or they need 136 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,679 Speaker 1: a massive defensive stop, you'll hear an entire arena filled 137 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: with more than twenty thousand Gin King fans who call 138 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: themselves the Barangay, they'll be chanting he never, he never. 139 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: So if I didn't know what was going on, I 140 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: might think that they were all demanding gin, which is 141 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 1: kind of awesome. But now that I'm looking at the 142 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 1: list of team names over the years, you need to 143 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: tell me what these are about. How about the pure 144 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: Foods Chunky Giants a classic in my top five? The 145 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: Chunky Giants name. That franchise is still in the PBA, 146 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: although unfortunately they don't go by the Chunky Giants anymore. 147 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: Pure Foods sells hot dogs. Also the reason why they 148 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: were ones called the pure Foods TJ hot Dogs, TJ 149 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: standing for tender juicy. None of this is a joke. 150 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: They also sell canned meats mostly, and during the Chunky 151 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 1: Giants period they were pushing a new and improved extra 152 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 1: chunky corned beef product. Okay, well, how about the b 153 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: Meg I got more for you, the b Meg Derby 154 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: ace Labados the Liamados of b Meg Derby as that's 155 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: actually the same franchise as Pure Foods. That's the incorporation 156 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: that owns pure Foods also owns a brand of chicken 157 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: feed called b Meg and Liamado is a cock fighting 158 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: term for favorite, as in the rooster who's favored to 159 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: win in a fight, or saboon as we call it 160 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: in the Philippines. So the basketball team who's favored to 161 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: win a game? I mean, like I'm getting hungry. Now, 162 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: what about what about the Crispa Red Red Manizers. You're 163 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: going old school because you just named one of the 164 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,839 Speaker 1: most storied franchises in p Bay history. You see, to 165 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: this day you can still probably find older fans who 166 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: label themselves as diehard chris fanatics, even though the team 167 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 1: hasn't been around for almost forty years. Chris Ba was 168 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: a clothing company and Redmonizing was the name they came 169 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: up with for their process of treating fabric to create 170 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: no shrink T shirts. So basically, this beloved bit of 171 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: Philippine basketball history was brought to you by the no 172 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:36,079 Speaker 1: shrink shrink makers. My head is spinning. My other question 173 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: about the team names is why aren't any of them 174 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: associated with the cities where they play well? Because the 175 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: PEBA is entirely based in Manila, maybe that's one more 176 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: reason for Filipinos from other parts of the country to 177 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: be annoyed with us in the capital. But from the 178 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: very very beginning, PBA owners decided that the travel expenses 179 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: that come with a true home and away format would 180 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,839 Speaker 1: be too costly and they'd endanger the league bible. So 181 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: majority of the PBA games are played in a handful 182 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: of arenas in Metro Manila, and the league schedules regular 183 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: trips to large cities and other parts of the Philippines, 184 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: where two teams will travel from Manila to someplace like 185 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: Cebu City and play a regular season game there to 186 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: make sure the rest of the country gets at least 187 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: some chance to see live PBA basketball. All right, got it? 188 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: I mean I think one more newbie question, if you will, 189 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: at least for now, what is up with the PBA 190 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,679 Speaker 1: awarding three championships per season? What is up with that? 191 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: But it's another feature that's been part of the PBA 192 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:38,719 Speaker 1: for as long as the league has been around. It's 193 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: the conference format. Basically, each PBA season is divided into 194 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: three shorter seasons called conferences. Each conference consists of a 195 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 1: slate of regular season games followed by the playoffs. So 196 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: that's three conferences, with each one naming a new champion 197 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: within a single season. Now they're only linked to each 198 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: other as this if it's manages to win the championship 199 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: of all three conferences in a single season, that's called 200 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 1: the Grand Slam, and only five teams in the history 201 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: of the league have pulled it off. But why bother, Well, 202 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: what does the PBA get out of organizing seasons in 203 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: a way that maybe no other pro sports league in 204 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: the world does. I mean, I've asked that question enough times. 205 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: But for starters, it allows basketball to be a year 206 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: round sport. In the Philippines, the p BA doesn't have 207 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: any meaningful competition from other domestic sports, other domestic pro leagues, 208 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: not in a real way. The NBA shares a calendar 209 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: with NFL Football, the NHL Major League Baseball, that those 210 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: aren't major sports in the Philippines, not even soccer, So 211 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 1: the p BA ends up running about eleven months out 212 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: of a year. I mean, basketball never stops. Huh. It's 213 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: a great slogan for Nike, and it's just a state 214 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: of mind for hoopers around the world. But in the Philippines, 215 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: it's reality. A single year long season would get dale. 216 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: I mean, everybody knows the grind. You probably better than 217 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: any one of us about you know, getting through an 218 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 1: NBA eighty two game schedule plus a postseason. So you know, 219 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: if you stretch that out three or four more months, 220 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: gotta get tough. You don't even want to think about it, 221 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: and neither does the PBA, so they split the season 222 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: in three to keep it fresh and start losing squads 223 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,439 Speaker 1: off with a blank slate every few months. And that 224 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: also means triple the playoffs, which come with bigger crowds 225 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: and extra media attention and more meaningful games. Plus, each 226 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: conference features different restrictions when it comes to imports, as 227 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: they're called here in the Philippines. In the Philippine Cup, 228 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: teams can only field all Filipino rosters to highlight local talent. 229 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: In the Commissioner's Cup, teams can hire one foeign big 230 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: man as an import, and in the Governor's Cup, teams 231 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: can hire one smaller import, either a wing or a guard. Traditionally, 232 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: way back in the seventies and eighties, including when Andy 233 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 1: Thompson played for Undway, they called it a reinforced conference 234 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: with one import and an open conference with two imports 235 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: per team. So is this the part where we get 236 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: to the height limits? I mean, I read about these, 237 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: Tell me if this sounds right. The PBA enforces height 238 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: limits on imports depending on the conference. Sometimes it will 239 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: be six ten or seven feet or unlimited, and other 240 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: times will be six three or six six, And whenever 241 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: a new import comes in, they have to be measured 242 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: at a PBA headquarters in Metro Manila, where the player 243 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: has to lay on his back and let league employees 244 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: verify his height with a tape measure before he can 245 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: be cleared to play. According to legendary Philippine sports broadcaster 246 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: sev Seramantha, who we heard from last episode, sometimes teams 247 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: would stretch or shrink the truth. Imports would arrive claiming 248 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: to be an inch or too shorter than their previously 249 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: reported height when they played in the US. Filipino sports 250 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: journalists like Kenito Henson would keep them honest. Though Kennito 251 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,239 Speaker 1: Henson did this long for the Internet, we had sports magazines. 252 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: He would subscribe to all the databases, and before the 253 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: import arriving in the Philippines, Kennito had already written about 254 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: that import. Sometimes imports would lie about their heights and 255 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: Kennetho would just clarify and crystallize what was really the truth. 256 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: And supposedly teams have developed methods of shrinking imports an 257 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: inch or so to get an extra advantage. Well, the 258 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: shrinking imports thing is a bit of an urban legend. 259 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: It's true that in the eighties and the nineties some 260 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: PBA teams believe they could shave as much as one 261 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: inch off a player's height at measurement by having them 262 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: lift heavy weights on a shoulder press. An exercise was 263 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: believed to compress the spine and make a person temporarily shorter, 264 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: But obviously there's no scientific evidence to back that up, 265 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: and the truth is that imports cheated the height limit 266 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: in those days. They didn't do so by shrinking their spines. 267 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: They just took advantage of the league's imperfect measurement techniques. 268 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: Until the two thousands, the PBA allowed imports to stand 269 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: for their official measurement, so players would just add a 270 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: slight bend to their knees or not stand perfectly straight 271 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: against the measurement wall. There's really nothing scientific about it, 272 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: just good old fashioned gamesmanship. We're going to take a 273 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: quick break, but when we come back, we're getting an 274 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: inside look into a life as a PBA import, where 275 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: everyone is like Mike, I always tell Michael. When I 276 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: started working with Michael really closely in nineteen ninety eight 277 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: on the Last Dance, and we were just talking about 278 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: life one day and I say, hey, Man, I know 279 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: what it's like to be you. He looked at me like, 280 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: how in the hell do you know what it's like 281 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: to be me? What? What are you talking about. In 282 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: the seventies and eighties, before there was more competition to 283 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: sign players from pro leagues in Europe and East Asia, 284 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: it was much more common to see imports arriving in 285 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: Manila fresh off their last NBA contracts. Dozens of former 286 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 1: NBA players have suited up as PBA imports throughout the 287 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: league's history, but to be honest, looking over the list 288 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,680 Speaker 1: of their names can feel a little bit like watching 289 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: Charles Barkley and Shack play who he played for on 290 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: inside the NBA. I mean, check out this list, right, 291 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: I mean Glenn McDonald or my childhood hero Lamont the 292 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: Helicopter Strathers. They're probably better remembered in the Philippines as 293 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 1: dominating imports than anywhere in the States for their NBA careers. 294 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: Guards like Kevin Gamble and Vincent Esque were NBA journeymen 295 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: in the nineties, but they each began their journeys overseas 296 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: with stops in the PBA and other international leagues before 297 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,880 Speaker 1: playing their way into the NBA, and it's unlikely many 298 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: Celtics fans recall a backup guard named Tony Harris who 299 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,959 Speaker 1: played a couple of seasons in Boston in the mid nineties. 300 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: But any PBA follower old enough to remember will tell 301 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: you about the day Hurricane Harris sat the league's single 302 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: game scoring record with one hundred and five points. One 303 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: hundred five from a backup guard played for the Celtics. 304 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: The Celtic fans don't even remember. Now. There's also Peter 305 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: John Ramos. No relation, no relation, I just want that 306 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: clear right now. Not related to him, And the next 307 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: detail will make you say, yeah, of course, yeah. He's 308 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: seven foot four, yea, yeah, yeah. He spent a season 309 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: with the Washington Wizards in the mid odds, resurface in 310 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: the PBA in twenty fifteen to be teammates with guests 311 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: who player coach Manny Pacquiao on an expansion team called 312 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: the Kia Carnival. That was the same season that ex 313 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City thunder big man Daniel Orton lost his roster 314 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: spot after publicly questioning the legitimacy of a pro basketball 315 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 1: league that would allow a five foot five inch celebrity 316 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: boxer and congressman to play because of his heroics in 317 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: the ring and political cloud even by the PBA standards, 318 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: that was a weird time. I mean, I guess I 319 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: see this point. There's always a stir when a PBA 320 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: team lands an import who played at an NBA championship team. 321 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: Josh Powell and DJ Benga, both of whom won titles 322 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: playing for the Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol 323 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,479 Speaker 1: in two thousand and nine. In two ten, showed up 324 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: for separate tours in Manila after their NBA opportunities had faded. 325 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: And who's this Scott Burrell and Dicky Simpkins, two players 326 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: who had contributed to the Chicago Bulls three peats in 327 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: the nineties. How did they not win PBA championships simply 328 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: by having been in the presence of Michael Jordan. That's 329 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: probably what the PB eight teams who hired them were thinking. See, 330 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: that's one of the tricky things about playing as an 331 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: import with NBA experience. The fans, the media, even the 332 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: teams themselves have even greater expectations of an accomplished NBA 333 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: veteran compared to a former, let's say, All Conference star 334 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: in college who never played at the highest level. And 335 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: this is a job, being a PBA import where the 336 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: baseline expectations are already off the charts. If you're not 337 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: your team's best player on both sides of the floor, 338 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: if you're not averaging close to thirty points per game, 339 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: and if you aren't delivering wins, no matter how good 340 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: your stats, your team might send you home as soon 341 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: as a replacement import becomes available. One of the long 342 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: time coaches in the league, a legendarily hard nosed guy 343 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: named Yeng Gao shout out coach Yang once said he'd 344 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: replace his import before Game seven of the finals if 345 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: he knew he had Michael Jordan coming in to close 346 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,160 Speaker 1: out the series. But I mean, like, who wouldn't I've 347 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: heard that. Even in the unforgiving world of international basketball, 348 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: where American imports understand that they're often only as good 349 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: as their last game, the PBA can be particularly cutthroat. 350 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: Darvin Ham, the first year head coach of the Los 351 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: Angeles Lakers, flew into Manila in early two thousand and six, 352 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: just months removed from being on an NBA Finals floor 353 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 1: with the Detroit Pistons, he arrived just in time to 354 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: join the Talking Texts phone pals for the playoffs, replacing 355 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: an import who'd played well but did not own a 356 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: championship ring. The move didn't payoff. Talking Texts lost their 357 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: first playoff series three one, and Ham was headed back 358 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: home after four games. The NBA veteran had been a 359 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: burly defensive specialist with the Pistons, but when he was 360 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: facing triple teams and the PBA and still expected to 361 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: drop thirty, he couldn't adjust fast enough to the new role. 362 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: Andy Thompson, the former tend Y Rummaker's import we heard 363 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: from at the beginning of this episode, is back to 364 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: tell us first hand about the life of a PBA import. 365 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: After knee injuries forced him to retire from playing, Andy 366 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: joined MBA Entertainment and eventually became an executive producer on 367 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan's The Last Dance documentary. And when you hear 368 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: this man talk about his experience in the PBA, you'll 369 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: wonder if he's planning to make a document worry about 370 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: Philippine basketball Matt. The guy who I replaced was Benny Andrews, 371 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: great player in his own right from the University of Houston. 372 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: He was averaging thirty points a game and like eighteen 373 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: or twenty rebounds he got, and he got cut, and 374 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: I was like, what did they expect for me? That 375 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: you just cut a guy? I was in thirty and twenty? 376 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: Are you kidding me? But they had won the two 377 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: previous championships. They wanted to open and they won the 378 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: six four and unders, so they were back to back 379 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 1: champions and they were going for the triple crown. They 380 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: called it, which was the Open, which was six six 381 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,360 Speaker 1: and under, and I was six six and I had 382 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 1: to play the center. And so I walk off a 383 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: plane and I get the practice, can barely keep my 384 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: eyes open because of the jetlight. And then we had 385 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: to play the next day, so I've only had one 386 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: day to practice, and I go out in the first 387 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: game and I just stink it up. I was twofa 388 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: eight the first half. I only had six points, and 389 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: I'm feeling like I'm not gonna be here very long 390 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,679 Speaker 1: if I expected to score thirty and grabbed twenty boards. 391 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: But I remember my head's down. In the locker room, 392 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: Rob Williams comes over to me and goes, yo, judge. 393 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: He always called me judge, Yo judge. You can play, man, 394 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: I said, I want you practice yesterday. You can play. 395 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: He says. There are two ways to get cut here 396 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: in the fields. You can get cut shooting too little. Well, 397 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: you can get cut shooting too much. He says, if 398 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: I was you, bro, I'd start shooting. He said, you 399 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: got this, and he patted me on the back, and 400 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: it was like it gives me goosebumps to think, I 401 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: don't know what that. There was a couple of words 402 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: and that pat on the back, but that gave me 403 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,360 Speaker 1: enough confidence to go out in the second half where 404 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: I scored twenty four and I hit the game winning shot. 405 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: So I ended up with, you know, with thirty points 406 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: like eighteen rebounds, so I made my quota. But more importantly, 407 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,119 Speaker 1: we won the game, and it was like boom, I 408 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 1: knew that I can play when I did that thirty 409 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: and twenty and I had a bad game in my opinion, 410 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: and I knew at that point, okay, maybe this could work. 411 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 1: You know, I was nobody in Europe and I was 412 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: coming off the bench at the University of Minnesota, and 413 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden, now I'm this big time 414 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: star and a quotation mark star in the Philippines, and 415 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: then lasted about two weeks while I was enjoying it, 416 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: until you just want to go out and shop for 417 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: some shoes or you know, a suit or whatever, and 418 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: there's this line of people lining up behind you to 419 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: just watch you do everything. Whether I go to a 420 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: food market, wherever I went, there was just a line 421 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: of people. You know, you can't eat a dinner anymore. 422 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: I always tell Michael. When I started working with Michael 423 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: really closely in nineteen ninety eight on the Last Dance, 424 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: and we were just talking about life one day and 425 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: I said, hey, man, I know what it's like to 426 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: be you. He looked at me like, how in the 427 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: hell do you know what it's like to be me? 428 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,199 Speaker 1: What what are you talking about? And then I related 429 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 1: my experiences of being followed every day by the media, 430 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: by fans, not having a moment's rest. I said, believe me, dude, 431 00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: I know what it's like to be you. In an 432 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: eight fund Andy, what it was like to play in 433 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,959 Speaker 1: the PBA in the eighties, with that signature scrappy style. 434 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 1: One thing we had to realize too, we had to 435 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: play all forty eight minutes. It was NBA rules forty 436 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: eight minutes twelve minute quarters, and imports were expected to 437 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 1: play every minute, which I didn't know when I got here, 438 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: so I went all out. And then when I realized 439 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: I was hopefully going to take a rest after like 440 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: ten minutes, the coach was like, no, you're not coming out. 441 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: You've got to play the whole game. And I remember 442 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,199 Speaker 1: at the end of the first game, I was literally 443 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: on fumes, just trying to pick my spots when I 444 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: can run on a fast break, hope when I can 445 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: get a rebound and throw it out so I can 446 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: hang and get some rest. So very quickly realized the 447 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: rules for the imports and the rules for everybody else 448 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: was different. It was an open style of play where 449 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 1: it was a motion offense. There were very few set plays, 450 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: so basically it was motion offense. It was definitely the roughest, tumblest, 451 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: dirtiest form of basketball I've ever played in. And it's 452 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: not up at denigrate the style of play, but the 453 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 1: mentality and how they played the games, and then how 454 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 1: they especially treated the imports, because if you can get 455 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 1: an import off of this game that wasn't used to 456 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: being tripped, being punched in the ribs, or you know, 457 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: hit in the lower region and you take a swing 458 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: and you're out of the game, and whoever import leaves 459 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: the game, the team loses. Getting imports off their game 460 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: is a key part to success in the PBA, and 461 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: there's one import stopper that rises above the rest. Nick velasco. 462 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 1: We watched a lot of film on them, and we 463 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 1: know that they get frustrated if you hit them too much, 464 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: if you play them too physical. So that's exactly what 465 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:42,439 Speaker 1: we would do. Whatever we can do to get them 466 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: disrupted and upset and triggered and get their mind off 467 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: of their strategy as a team and get them to 468 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: want to fight us. Then that means we won, because 469 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: they're not thinking about the game anymore. They're thinking about 470 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: how badly they want to fight us. We'll hear more 471 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: from Nick in a second. Damn Nico. Is the PBA 472 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 1: still as rugged as Andy described? He made it sound 473 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: like driving into the lame was like entering the Thunderdome. 474 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: It's not that bad anymore. Fans love the rough and 475 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: tumble style of PBA ball in the eighties, but over time, 476 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 1: the league and fairness has moved away from the unspoken 477 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: rule of no blood, no foul, and the product a 478 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: more free flowing, skillful game is better for it. I 479 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: mean that doesn't mean the PBA hasn't remained a very 480 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: physical league. I mean they just reigned in the dangerous 481 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: stuff the players got away within Andy's day, which brings 482 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 1: me to our Gailla glesson for this episode, Cassidy, Oh, 483 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: today's word is gulang. Huh I Remember Donna mentioned that 484 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: you're right, You're right way back in episode one? She did. 485 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: She did say that. In the dictionary, if you look 486 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: up the word gulang, it just means age. But on 487 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: the basketball court, gulang is more like craftiness, the tricks 488 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: that experienced PBA players can use to get the better 489 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 1: of younger, greener opponents. Some of these tactics can feel 490 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: borderline dirty, like holding a player's index finger as he's 491 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: about to jump for a rebound to stunt his upward momentum. 492 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: All it takes is a gentle yank in the wrong 493 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: direction to give the practitioner of gulang the edge he needs. 494 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,960 Speaker 1: To secure the ball. But that's the thing. PBA imports 495 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 1: are often such gifted scorers that local defenders will sink 496 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: to bizarre levels in hopes of throwing imports off their game. 497 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: Gulang is particularly important to a group of players known 498 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: as import stoppers, guys who have a reputation for being 499 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: able to make an import work for his numbers. Nick 500 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: Blasco is one of the league's top defenders and a 501 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: designated import stopper for much of his sixteen year career 502 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: in the PBA. The six foot six forward raised in Stockton, California, 503 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: had a size and quickness to match up with imports, 504 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: and so he was asked to defend a different former 505 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: college All American or fringe and BA talent almost every 506 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: time he stepped on the court during import conferences. He's 507 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: going to teach us the tricks of the trade. Ron 508 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: Jacobs was the one that really made a big deal 509 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: about it. And he saw that I could guard guys 510 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: like Sonny Alvarado, who was a phil am more like 511 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: an import, and he played for Tan Dwy and I 512 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: could guard him real well, one on one full court. 513 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: So Ron Jacobs was running the Sam Miguel Beerman team 514 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: and Hinebro. He was running all the Sa Miguel teams 515 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 1: and he started a pathway to get a trade for 516 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: me to bring me to San Miguel because he knew 517 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: that he would have to face Sonny Alvarado in the 518 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: playoffs in the quarterfinals, and he knew I can guard 519 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: him one on one. I just want to tell you, 520 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 1: I remember the day you got traded to Sun Miguel 521 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 1: as a lifelong Son Miguel fan. I remember my dad 522 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: actually buying Son Miguel and bringing it to the house 523 00:29:55,680 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: and celebrating because Nick Bilasco was now playing for San Miguel. 524 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: It was a happy day in our household now, I'll 525 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: never forget it. My dad then proceeded to watch your 526 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: games and then tell me to play like you, and 527 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: I was like, he's look at him, look at me, like, no, 528 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: there's no way I can do that. Now. Since we're 529 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: looking back on your on your PBA career, one that 530 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: I've obviously been such a big fan of, who comes 531 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: to mind when you think about your toughest matchups. You 532 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: mentioned Sonya Varai was a handful for for anybody, whether 533 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: it's locals or whether it's imports. Who makes it to 534 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: the top of your mind when you think of like 535 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: the toughest players you played. Well, the guys that introduced 536 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: me into Philipine basketball, and it was a rude introduction too. 537 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: It was Noldie Luckson. Nelie Luckson. I got so many 538 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: scars on my face just from him and lay up 539 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 1: the tank the tank, and you know, I was I 540 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: was trained to play pressure denial defense. I can guard 541 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 1: you full court. You know. I pretty much put my 542 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:02,960 Speaker 1: whole body all over you when I played defense and 543 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: disrupt everything you do. So when you played defense like that, 544 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: these veteran players such as Noli, they know how to 545 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: get you. You know, if your face is right here, 546 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: they're just gonna make a move like this and it's 547 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: legal and you're gonna eat those elbows. So my first 548 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: year I got cut a lot because I never backed 549 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: down from putting my face right there, and I wasn't 550 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: smart enough to figure out how to get my face 551 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: out of the way and still get the job done, 552 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: so they just kept teeing off on me. Those are 553 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: the guys that gave me hell my first year, and 554 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: it was mostly locals because you know, the big wave 555 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: of Philams didn't come in until nineteen ninety nine. Around 556 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: that point where I see Talava and Rudy and Eric 557 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: Mink and all them came through phil Am or Filipino 558 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: American players have a unique role in the PBA since 559 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: they have their own category and don't count as imports 560 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: on a team roster. The rules for how many phil 561 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: Am players are allowed on a team have changed over 562 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: the years, but they're importance to the league means they're 563 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 1: heavily scouted from college teams and local Philippine basketball clubs. 564 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: You know, I'm honestly kind of surprised I wasn't scouted 565 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: form my PBA Chicago team, just kidding. The one that 566 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: gave me fits the worst was Nelson Satono. He would 567 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: score forty points on me every game my rookie year. 568 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 1: And then there was a bar called Cable Car. I 569 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: don't know if you guys remember Cable Car, the original 570 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: Impasse Road. You know, I would always go there with 571 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: my teammates my rookie year, which is boy been Victoria 572 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: at Dwight Logo, you know, for Helm and SS. We 573 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 1: would always go there and hang out of Makadie, have 574 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: some beer and Eves Dignadise would always be out there 575 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 1: and VS for whatever reason. You know, he's really a 576 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 1: defensive specialist and he played for Ron Jacobs. The Ron 577 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: Jacobs style is that you know everyone's tendency that you're guarding, 578 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: you know their moves exact, and you know how to 579 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: shut it down and send them to their weaknesses. So 580 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: Evs sat me down, we had a bunch of beer, 581 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: and he broke down all the secrets and tendencies of 582 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: each one of those players. You know, Alvin's gonna do 583 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 1: this move, Nelson's gonna spend baseline, um Nolie's gonna take 584 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: one or two troubles and then spin and you wait 585 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: for them to jump, and then you jump second. Then 586 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 1: you're gonna block it. So I started, you know, I 587 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: remembered all that I was just absorbing it from UVS. 588 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: So that changed everything for me because now when I 589 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: played against those guys that were really giving me hell, 590 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,360 Speaker 1: I was able to shut down some of their stuff 591 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 1: and then I started figuring it out. Those bobbled the bull. 592 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: When I heard a big bag on the floor, it 593 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 1: looks like someone got hit him the head. It was 594 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: just about being smart, and that's what I learned from 595 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: Nolie lux In because what I would do is when 596 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: Nolie would hit me, I'll hit him back right away, 597 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 1: and then he'll just be like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, 598 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Nick, I'm sorry. Because we would always go 599 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: out and have drinks after the game because he was 600 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: good friends with Dwyn Lago and me and Dwy were 601 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: closed and teammates, so we would have these crazy battles 602 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 1: during the game, and then it will be end up 603 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: somewhere at someone's house drinking wine or beer or whatever 604 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 1: and hanging out listening to jazz. And you know, I 605 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: couldn't figure out the psychological thing that was happening there 606 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:13,799 Speaker 1: because we're all buddy buddy. But then as soon as 607 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 1: the game starts, boom, I get hit and then I'm 608 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 1: all frustrated and he's like sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. And 609 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: then Nolie would be like, We'll be running down the 610 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 1: court after he hit elbows me and he's like, just 611 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 1: hit me back, hit me backing back, hit me back, 612 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: like whispering it to me. And finally, when one day 613 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:31,839 Speaker 1: I fell for it, I just leveled him at half 614 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: court boom, and he was just waiting for it, and 615 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: so I got thrown out. So I started figuring out 616 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: the pattern that as soon as the ball's up in 617 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 1: the air and we're all battling for a rebound, that's 618 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 1: when I'll get hit like bang. And then I started 619 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: realizing I can't hit him back right now because everyone's 620 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: looking at us now. They missed his hit, but they 621 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 1: saw me react, so now they're looking when I hit 622 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: him back before it, I would be the one they 623 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: would get caught. So I learned, got to run up 624 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: and down a couple of times, and new wait for 625 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 1: someone to shoot the blog. Then you get them, you know, 626 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: and that's where no one's expecting it. They kind of 627 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: forgot about the previous incident and then Nollie would or 628 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: whoever it was, would just be like, oh, you got 629 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: me back, and it would just be an ongoing thing. 630 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: When I figured it out, then I started using it 631 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 1: against other people. So when a new player would come 632 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: in the league, like I would be licking my chops 633 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: the same way that those guys were licking their chops 634 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: when they saw me come in the league, and I 635 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,279 Speaker 1: use all the same tricks against them, and you know, 636 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:35,919 Speaker 1: I would give them hell after the break we're talking 637 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: about one of the biggest legends in PBA history, a 638 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: former Portland Trailblazer turned PBA star known as the Black Superman, 639 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: Billy ray Bates. He actually played with Andy Thompson in 640 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,840 Speaker 1: the PBA and was in the same NBA draft class 641 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 1: as Raymond Townsend, the first Filipino American in the NBA. 642 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: Even coach Eric Spoelstra was a big og Billy ray 643 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 1: Bates fan. My family over there would always send BHS 644 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: tapes of the PBA, and so I was familiar with 645 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 1: the PBA and Billy rate Bates, who was a legend 646 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:21,840 Speaker 1: over there. He actually played for the Portland Trailblazers. He 647 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: was kind of a two year legend in Portland where 648 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 1: they still talk about him while he finished his career 649 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: in the Philippines. So I felt a connection to Billy 650 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: rate Bates, but also to the PBA. Wow, you're asking 651 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: me to basically tell you about Michael Jordan. Literally he 652 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:49,440 Speaker 1: made the PBA what it is today. He's known as 653 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:53,440 Speaker 1: the Black Superman, and I think there's probably next to 654 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,320 Speaker 1: Air Jordan, there is nobody else with a more fitting 655 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: name than the Black Superman, because he was that good 656 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 1: and that dominant. He was six foot four about two 657 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:06,800 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five pounds, can jump like Jordan, pans 658 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: like Jordan if you go back and you google him. 659 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: In the NBA, He's one of the few players who 660 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:14,240 Speaker 1: never got drafted what was called up from the CBA, 661 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 1: and the minute he who played his first couple of 662 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,799 Speaker 1: games with the Portland Trail Blazers, he made it an 663 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 1: the needed impact. There's probably only one player in history 664 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:34,040 Speaker 1: who was called the legend by Brett Musberger at halftime 665 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: of an NBA playoff game before widening up as a 666 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: PBA import and carving out an even more legendary career 667 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 1: in Manila, Billy Ray Bates. His story captivated NBA fans 668 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 1: late in the nineteen seventy nine eighty season when the 669 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:54,879 Speaker 1: Portland Trailblazers signed Bates, an undrafted six four guard who've 670 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: been putting up monster scoring numbers for a minor league 671 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 1: team in the old CBA called main Lumberjacks. Bates helped 672 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: the Blazers rally for a playoff spot, and in the 673 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:09,879 Speaker 1: first round against the defending champion Seattle SuperSonics. Bates gave 674 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,800 Speaker 1: one of the best teams in the NBA all that 675 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 1: they could handle. Against an all star backcourt, Bates torched 676 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: Seattle's Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams for twenty five points 677 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: per game in a losing effort that series, Berward, don't 678 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:28,840 Speaker 1: you know who Bannis Johnson is? Yes, I know they 679 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: got hurt of I don't you know how Goody is defenshion? Well, 680 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to give off for twenty nine on him? Well, 681 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: you know, I've just come out here, you know, and 682 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: take the open shots, you know, look for the good shot. 683 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 1: And looks a pair of ball from the largest got 684 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:46,320 Speaker 1: those twenty nine points, baffling Jane ball, and you know 685 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: I was a while. Over the following year, Bates averaged 686 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: twenty eight point three points per game while the Blazers 687 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 1: fell again in the first round, but it gave him 688 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: a career NBA playoff average of twenty six point seven 689 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 1: points per game, a franchise record in Portland that even 690 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:05,200 Speaker 1: Damian Lillard, with a postseason average of twenty five point 691 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 1: seven points per game, is still trying to catch. He 692 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 1: had a nuclear first step and the explosiveness to get 693 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,319 Speaker 1: to the rim and dunk in the blink of an eye. 694 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:17,680 Speaker 1: He had a soft shooting touch on running bank shots 695 00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: and baseline pull up jumpers from the mid range, and 696 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,319 Speaker 1: he shot and made three pointers like a modern NBA guard. 697 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 1: Back in Portland, the minister of a local church even 698 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: wrote a verse about Bates into his sermon, and CBS's 699 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 1: Mussburger read it allowed to him on National TV before 700 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: a playoff game. Billy Ray, you're going to show good 701 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,840 Speaker 1: in Portland. Look at this the ministers. Now I'm making 702 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: those sermons about you. On Sunday, Rock of Ages, Billy Ray. 703 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 1: Shoot a jump shot, fade away, get a slammer that away, 704 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 1: fire home a three point play. Rock of Ages, Billy Ray. 705 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 1: We all hope you're here to stay. Are you indeed 706 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: here to stay? Yes? I hope. So I'm gonna give 707 00:39:57,800 --> 00:39:59,440 Speaker 1: it all I got, you know, show to people what 708 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 1: I can do. You know, I let the system. And however, 709 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,239 Speaker 1: made his stake. But it wasn't Bates game that brought 710 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: him to Manila. There's no doubt that he had the 711 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:13,240 Speaker 1: raw scoring ability of a multiple time NBA All Star. Unfortunately, 712 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: like David Thompson, Michael Ray, Richardson, and a number of 713 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:20,200 Speaker 1: other brilliant talents who never quite lived up to their potential. 714 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 1: In the seventies and eighties, Bates struggled with substance abuse. 715 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:27,440 Speaker 1: Teams considered him unreliable, and he washed out of the 716 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,800 Speaker 1: NBA in nineteen eighty three. The next month, he was 717 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: on his way to Manila, where he didn't clean up 718 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 1: his lifestyle. But it didn't matter. He could party as 719 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: much as he wanted, and by some accounts he did 720 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 1: and still score it will in the PBA. A six 721 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:45,279 Speaker 1: foot four guard with a thick, powerful frame and pre 722 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:48,759 Speaker 1: Jordan Jordan esque hang time, Bates could put the ball 723 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,479 Speaker 1: in the basket from just about anywhere on the court. 724 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, trying to guard this guy. Like I said, 725 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:58,879 Speaker 1: six to four guard skills, hands like Jordan, can jump 726 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: out the gym, and he had a three point jump shot. 727 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,920 Speaker 1: It was he was unguardable at that time. The average, 728 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:09,240 Speaker 1: I think forty eight points a game. It's point a minute. Okay, 729 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:11,799 Speaker 1: It's hard to average forty eight points a game if 730 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 1: you're playing for Little Sisters of the Poor or the YMCA. 731 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:19,360 Speaker 1: He was that dominant, just at a phenomenal, phenomenal talent, 732 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:23,320 Speaker 1: couldn't be stopped. Got to his spots He was like 733 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:25,680 Speaker 1: Larry Bird at times, I'm gonna go right over there 734 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:27,920 Speaker 1: and shoot a jumper and you can't do anything about it. 735 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: He was that dominant Dinna rate Bage comes out of 736 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:31,960 Speaker 1: no word to pull down the rebound and keeps it 737 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:33,839 Speaker 1: in the turf. If he never signed to go there, 738 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: I've had by six, make that nine on a triple 739 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:39,759 Speaker 1: of by Dinna rate Babe. The PBA, a league that 740 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:43,280 Speaker 1: is no stranger. The highest scoring imports, had never seen 741 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 1: a player like Bates. In his first game playing for 742 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: the Crispo Redmanizers, he unloaded sixty four points, shooting five 743 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,360 Speaker 1: of six on three pointers, seventeen of twenty five on twos, 744 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 1: and fifteen of sixteen from the free throw line. For 745 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:03,480 Speaker 1: good mesh, he grabbed twelve rebounds and dished five assists 746 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:07,320 Speaker 1: out to go along with one steal and one block shot. 747 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:10,520 Speaker 1: Talk about stuff in the statue and that game was 748 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:14,320 Speaker 1: no fluke. Bates went on to play four full PBA 749 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,800 Speaker 1: conferences with Crispa and then hennebra Sem Miguel over the 750 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty three, nineteen eighty six, and nineteen eighty seven seasons. 751 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: Mill Rate Bates making up that's the one who were 752 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:30,720 Speaker 1: waiting Forard. I thought everyone was waiting Ford. His career 753 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:33,360 Speaker 1: average of forty six point two points is still the 754 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:37,640 Speaker 1: highest in PBA history, a record that's unlikely to ever 755 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:41,200 Speaker 1: be broken. And he wasn't just a stat stuffer. Bates 756 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,520 Speaker 1: was a winner. He led Crispa to championships in both 757 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 1: conferences he played in eighty three, helping the Redmondizers become 758 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:50,960 Speaker 1: the second PBA team to ever pull off a Grand 759 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,440 Speaker 1: Slam of all three conference titles. In the same season, 760 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: when he returned with Hennebra, he led them to championships 761 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 1: in both conferences. He played four championships in four tries. 762 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:06,840 Speaker 1: He was such a sensation that a local shoe brand, Grosby, 763 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: made a line of signature shoes for Bates, called the 764 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:14,239 Speaker 1: Black Superman's and re released a retro version of them 765 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:18,759 Speaker 1: in twenty thirteen, Forty years after Bates first stepped onto 766 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:22,319 Speaker 1: a PBA court. He never Franchise brought Bates back one 767 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: more time in nineteen eighty eight, but by then his 768 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 1: lifestyle was catching up to him. Bates was out of shape, 769 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:31,760 Speaker 1: and he and the team struggled. After four games, Bates 770 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:34,640 Speaker 1: got sent home, like so many other PBA imports who 771 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:38,680 Speaker 1: came before and after him. He'd been replaced, but fans 772 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:41,920 Speaker 1: in the Philippines never forgot the Black Superman, the greatest 773 00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:45,600 Speaker 1: talent who ever graced the league. In twenty eleven, he 774 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 1: became one of just three imports named to the PBA 775 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:52,759 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame. Bates' story hasn't had a storybook ending. 776 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:56,400 Speaker 1: After he retired from basketball, he continued to struggle with 777 00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 1: addiction and spent almost five years in prison. After his release, 778 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,600 Speaker 1: he returned to the Philippines for his Hall of Fame 779 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:06,840 Speaker 1: induction in twenty eleven and found a shot at redemption 780 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:09,520 Speaker 1: as the skills coach for a team in the Escan 781 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:13,360 Speaker 1: Basketball League. Almost six months after he'd been hired, Bates 782 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,960 Speaker 1: was dismissed from the job. So I think it's safe 783 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: to say that this story is not going to end 784 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:21,240 Speaker 1: up in a Hallmark card. But Bates had a brilliant, 785 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:24,520 Speaker 1: unforgettable run in the PBA, one that touched the hearts 786 00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 1: and imaginations of a basketball nation during a time when 787 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,600 Speaker 1: the Philippines had hardly any televised access to NBA basketball 788 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:35,280 Speaker 1: and above the rim, legends like Julius Irving and Michael Jordan. 789 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:38,920 Speaker 1: PBA fans could say they had their own high flying 790 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:42,800 Speaker 1: and high scoring hero, one who had already proven he 791 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:46,240 Speaker 1: could average almost thirty points in an NBA playoff series, 792 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:49,600 Speaker 1: and his name was Billy Ray Bates Grammont on the 793 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:58,920 Speaker 1: in Bad Play, in Bad Right. Thanks for listening to 794 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 1: episode three of Hoops Paradise the Philippines Love of the Game. 795 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,719 Speaker 1: Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you 796 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 1: get podcasts, and check out episode four, where we'll be 797 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:13,319 Speaker 1: going deep on the impact Kobe Bryant and other NBA 798 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: players have had on the lives of countless Filipinos. You 799 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:21,640 Speaker 1: had lunch with him, Yeah, but I wasn't able to eat. 800 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:25,719 Speaker 1: I was like, just like we had lunch. Cat sat 801 00:45:25,840 --> 00:45:26,279 Speaker 1: next to him.