Basketball draft

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"The path is made by walking" (African proverb). My first memory of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) was going to one of the side streets of Paco, Manila, to submit my name into the pool of the fledgling PBA. I submitted my brother's name too. A few weeks later we saw our names published in the Manila Times to be called up by the Seven-Up Uncolas for try-outs. My brother and I were both nearly 5'9", although my younger brother was much heftier and a better basketball player with his left hand. We were probinsyanos who played in the high school varsity team. We never went. I don't know why.

The PBA was formed in 23 January 1975 and the teams were: Mariwasa-Noritake Porcelainmakers, Carrier Weathermakers, Toyota Comets, Presto Ice Cream, Seven-Up Uncolas, Crispa Redmanizers, Royal Tru-Orange, Tanduay Distillery, and the U/Tex Weavers. The first game was played at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on 09 April 1975. The league just gained strength throughout he years.

As I write this, I'm made aware of the wonderful possibilities for Filipino-Kiwi basketball players to join the draft for the New Zealand National Basketball League (NBL). I had an awesome Zoomustahan with Justin Nelson, the General Manager of the NZ NBL last Saturday. This episode was for my NetKapihan show. I've uploaded it online and have started to receive great feedback from coaches and parents, wanting this or that player, or wanting their sons to join the draft. I always point them to the NZ NBL website www.nznbl.basketball to get all the full details for the draft. I don't know why, for short people like us, we really love basketball. The basketball court becomes the centre of the community: aside form the players, family and fans, you can also see food vendors by the sidelights, selling the yummiest and tastiest Filipino food lutong bahay style. One can also get the latest chismis and chika ranging from showbiz to employment and immigration concerns. What is a Filipino community without a basketball game?

This wonderful opportunity in the NZ NBL draft should not be missed. They say that height is might in basketball. Yes it is true. We have tall players now because of their mixed parentage. But fret not you smaller but agile players, for I'm sure there's s space for you on NZ basketball. It is your abilidad on the basketball court that will carry you and make you shine. You have to go to the process, to find out, to do away with the what ifs in your life. My brother and I missed out many years ago. I wouldn't want that to happen to you too.