Basketball overload

February 24, 2025 | 12:00am

Is there too much basketball in the Philippines? Now, before you bite my head off because you think there’s no such thing, hear me out.

In the past five years alone, there has been a great multiplication of basketball leagues all over the country, not just in the major cities, but also in harder to reach places. Almost every combination of letters possible has been attached to the words “basketball,” “league” or the less common “athletic association.” This is actually a principle of nature. Everything seeks its own level. Everyone has their own place in the sun, because everyone loves the sport.

I’m worse when most people watch television and vicariously live the game through the NBA and the PBA. Now, with all the access to information, it’s easier to put a league, or teams and learn how to run your own tournaments. Also, watching the game is no longer enough. Many many young men – and women – and even a few older ones, want to play. Setting aside the aspirational value of everyone wanting to turn pro, many people want to compete at their level of skill and in their geographic location.

Of course, it’s also a way for local politicians to entertain their constituents and give them something to cheer for. We admire local businessman, and chief executives were able to even bring in top talent from around the country and international players for their own local tournaments. There are many wealthy individuals who love the game, want to put on a show, but don’t want to just watch basketball on television or all the way in Metro Manila. So they do it themselves.

Also, there’s always the hope that by being seen online on Facebook or YouTube, if we get recruited to play for the PBA or the MPBL, even if it’s a long shot. The challenge now is actually for scouts to sit through the mountains of basketball content online, which seem found a bottom audience on social media. As early as 10 years ago, more than half of the countries, television audience has migrated the digital devices, aided partly by horrible traffic, which forced people to find ways to not miss their favorite shows.

On one hand, it’s great that Filipinos get to play the game more, regardless of the condition of the court, the size of the crowd, and whether they are covered by me or their own broadcast team. It all feeds into the game, creating a new cycle, a new generation of heroes, local and national. Basketball is, after all, the passion of Filipinos. Can there ever be enough? Happily, the pie is big enough for everybody. Everybody can play, everybody can learn, everybody gets better. And basketball is the clear winner.