Barefoot Ballers
My experience playing pickup basketball in the Philippines
While the Philippines is known for its natural beauty and incredible hospitality, they are also known for their strong passion for Basketball. In a country where American culture has a noticeable impact, basketball stars like Kobe and Lebron are huge celebrities and even have their own billboards in the large cities. Although the Philippines has their own basketball league called the Philippine Basketball Association(PBA), Filipinos still enjoy watching the NBA and even keep up with the playoffs and the best stars that the league has to offer. This year was no different as Filipinos were treated to the phenomenal play of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Being the son of a Filipina immigrant, I’m fortunate enough to visit my family in the Philippines every so often and even lace up my bball shoes to get a run in with the locals. One thing I’ve learned while playing ball there is that they take this sport seriously and love it to no end.
Attending Arizona State University, I played ball in the dry desert heat on a weekly basis so I thought that playing in the Philippines heat would be something that wouldn’t bother me. However, I was wrong. The Philippines is located near the equator which makes it an exceptionally hot and humid country that also suffers destructive floods. Naturally, this makes the playing conditions pretty harsh. But these conditions aren’t enough to stop locals from enjoying the game. Even after typhoons leave many Filipinos homeless, they still find a way to play basketball. On top of playing in tough conditions, a lot of Filipinos in the provinces can’t afford a decent pair of sneakers and play in their flip flops or worse, barefoot. Driving through the country, I noticed that every town I passed through had several basketball hoops. Some of these hoops were even made completely out of wood and had grass courts instead of pavement. As a huge basketball fan, I appreciated the love that Filipinos put into the game. Because of this, I couldn’t wait to run some pickup games with the local ballers.
Last March, I stayed with my family in a city called Antipolo located just east of Manila. Immediately after landing I was exposed to the humidity but this wasn’t enough to deter my desire to play. One of the first things I did as soon as I made it to my aunt’s home was unpack my basketball shoes so I could play with my cousin. We had several options for playing in the neighborhood. There was the hoop set up in my cousin’s front yard, his neighbor’s backyard hoop, a hoop down the street that had some shade due to the trees nearby, or another hoop that had an actual cement court. We decided to go to the hoop that had a cement court although there wasn’t much shade. The court itself was located in the middle of town and had several homes facing it so residents could just poke their head out if they heard an exciting game going on. Along the baseline of the court ran a dirt road where cars and bikes often passed through and at times, these vehicles would have no choice but to go through the court if the road became too congested.
When we got there, the court was empty aside from a few people conversating and sharing a few jokes. Once we stepped onto the court with a basketball in hand, a few people started to show their interest and began to watch me and my cousin warm up with a few shots and trick layups. About 10 minutes later, we had some challengers that wanted to run a 3 v 3 game. At this point, I was already pretty drenched in sweat but I was more than willing to take on our challengers. People started to stop what they were doing and kids started to line up around one side of the court to get a better view. Kids and adults alike looked me up and down and their eyes lingered on my Nike basketball shoes. They could immediately tell that I was a foreigner and my accent instantly gave me away and they became interested to see if this American could ball. I then noticed my opponent’s’ choice of footwear and some wore flip flops while others chose to go completely barefoot. The court we were on was pretty dusty and even with a decent pair of shoes you were bound to slip so I wondered how they would perform in these conditions. I was wrong to doubt these players in their home court.
We started with the ball and we checked up and started to run some isolation plays. The person that was guarding me was giving me no room to breathe and was adept at denying me the ball. I took this challenge and became free of my defender but once I got the ball, I felt slaps on my wrists and forearms from the defender trying to strip me of the ball. This was enough to show me what kind of player I would have to face during my stay in the Philippines. The players I played against were physical and would often foul on layup attempts and even jump shots. Playing in the parks back home in the Bay Area, we only call fouls if they are glaringly obvious and excuse small fouls. Because of this, I wasn’t calling the fouls committed against me but I noticed that our challengers were calling their own fouls even if there was the slightest bit of contact. My lack of foul calling was noticed and the defender took advantage of this and became more physical. This is when I decided to adapt to this style of play and started to play by their rules to our advantage.
My cousin and I did most of the scoring while our other teammate held his own on the boards and on defense so the game was pretty close. Playing defense took up the most energy since I had to chase my man and play a physical brand of Filipino basketball. The kids began to take note of this intensity and really got into it and started to chant things like “Americano!” or “dunk!” every time I would get the ball. The crowd was filled with “oohs” and “aahs” after every play and it almost felt like playing in a gym filled with fans. This made the game really fun to play and I felt obliged to give the people a show so I called for the ball more often. Made shot after made shot, my confidence began to grow and I felt a hot streak coming on so I rode it all the way to a victory. This was just a small taste of how games are played there and I wanted more of it.
Throughout my stay in the Philippines I played at all sorts of courts. I played at covered courts right off the highway, courts in the province where the whole town comes by to watch, courts where we had to walk through a whole village in order to access, and even courts located inside of malls. Although all the courts were different, one thing always remained: the passion for this sport. Playing with the locals was a rewarding experience that gave me a glimpse of how the game of basketball is open to many styles of play. Although the ultimate objective is to put the ball through the hoop, how it gets there is entirely up to us and allows us to come up with creative moves, plays, and techniques. No matter what conditions Filipinos are presented with, whether it’s a lack of equipment or harsh playing conditions, they always find a way to get together and get a run going.
If you ever find yourself fortunate enough to play some ball in the Philippines here are some tips:
- Wear a light, breathable shirt and also bring an extra shirt to change into after the game.
- Make sure to buy some water ahead of time. You don’t want to be parched at the end of a game only to find that there isn’t a store nearby.
- Play by their rules. Remember, you’re in their home court so call your own fouls.
- Get ready to play a physical brand of basketball.
- Beware of defenders crowding around you as soon as you handle the rock. They WILL hack at your wrists and forearms so be prepared.
- Some teams like to bet on games so be sure to bring some cash that you don’t mind putting up.
- Don’t waste too much energy on defense. It is very hot and you’d be surprised at how quickly can get tired.
- Ignore some of the jeers that might come with the crowd. It’s a part of the game and remember that to them, you’re an outsider.
- Wear shoes. Filipinos might be able to ball with nothing but their bare feet, but you’re probably not used to it and you don’t want to get injured.
- Find a family member or local that plays pretty often so you can easily find a game. Our goal with RecCheck is to release our app so that finding games around the globe can all be done with your smartphone.
Playing around the world is a great way to make friends and to become a part of the culture. You might play basketball in the Philippines or play soccer in Brazil, but you’ll find that sports are ingrained into some countries and sometimes there’s no better way to get to know the locals. If you have a memorable experience with playing a sport in a different country please share!
