Why Is Basketball so Popular in the Philippines?

To our honorable professor, classmates (singit mo na lang kung meron pang ibang nanonood),

good afternoon. This afternoon, I would like to share something about a sport that is so close to the

hearts of the Filipino. And I believe that it is the most popular sport here in the Philippines. I know that

everyone in this room know what I’m talking about. It is the sport called basketball. But first, I would

like to raise some questions. Have you ever wondered why basketball is so famous in the country? That

when there is a championship game you can bet that most Filipinos would glue their faces in front of

television sets? How did Filipinos end up loving this foreign sport so much? Now let me dig deeper and

root back the origin of Philippine Basketball and how we ended up being so in love with it.

It’s a Canadian clergyman, educator and physician named James Naismith who coined basketball

in 1891. Originally, basketball was designed to be a recreational game suitable for indoor games during

the winter. After the standardization of basketball rules, different colleges in Canada and US adapted the

sport and in a period of just a decade it spread quickly into other parts of the globe. Men and women

played basketball both indoors and on the streets.

During 1898 to 1900, the Americans introduced the young sport to the Philippines. Our country

was among the very first basketball playing nations in the world. And the most famous sport during

those days, soccer, was replaced by basketball and other American sports such as baseball and football.

It was not long for us to find out our true potential in the sport. From 1910s to early 1930s, the

Filipinos went on dominating the basketball scene in Asia winning 9 championships out of 10 in the Far

Eastern Games. And by the first time that men’s basketball was finally considered an official sport in the

Berlin Olympics in 1936, the Philippines finished fifth with a 4-1 win-loss record losing only to the US.

Another one is in the second FIBA World Championship in 1954 wherein the Filipinos snagged the

bronze medal with basketball superstar Carlos Loyzaga being the tournament’s third leading scorer and

making him a part of the mythical five selection. These feats by the Philippine Basketball Team are still

unparalleled up to this day by any other Asian country. Surely, these things are ones we can be proud of.

The Philippines continued their dominance up until the late 1960s. But when Carlos Loyzaga

retired, the Philippine Team’s performance also declined. And though they are consistently appearing in

Olympic and Asian games, it was very evident that the Golden Age of Philippine Basketball was slowly

turning into a downward spiral. However, it did not mean doomsday for the Filipino fans. The love for

the sport was still the same and they continued supporting the Philippine delegation.

In 1975, the Philippine Basketball Association was born with a burning passion to bring back the

golden days. And they succeeded in the 1985-1986 FIBA Asia Championship where they won their fifth

Championship which earned them the right to play in the FIBA World Championship. However, they

were not able to play due to political crisis in the country during those times.

In the 90s the very first all-pro basketball players’ national team was formed. It gained all out

support from Filipinos in every corners of the country since it was coached by the charismatic basketball

“Living Legend” Robert Jaworski. The national team was also bannered by top PBA Superstars such as

Alvin Patrimonio, Samboy Lim and the sharpshooter Allan Caidic. They finished second to China in the

Asian Games.

Though the Philippine Team’s performance in the world basketball scene was never the same

and the Golden Days were gone, the support and love of Filipino fans for the sport were always the

same. As players strive hard to bring glory and honor the country, their effort is always appreciated back

home. And our countrymen boast this to the rest of the world—Filipino pride and Filipino class. This, I

think, is what makes Filipinos love the sport so much.

In every sport that we play, we give more than a hundred percent and we pour in our hearts out

for victory. In every sport that we play, we excel and astonish the world. In every sport we play, we carry

the pride of our country in our shoulders and proudly wave the Philippine flag.

Clearly, it is not money that makes Filipinos play basketball. Likewise, it is not any material thing

that makes Filipinos love the sport so much but the successes that had put the Philippines in the World

Map and made us a proud nation.