Sunday Times Magazine
January 23, 1972
Elizabeth Celis
Before the war, when big league basketball meant the NCAA and the UAAP, the MICAA, like a neighborhood tournament, hardly had any problems.
Now without doubt, only the MICAA is big league. The collegiate circuits serve as mere training grounds and it has to be a phenomenal college player who can crash into the national team which is usually composed only of MICAA players.
But like any other flourishing organization that has to pay the price of growth, the MICAA today is riddled by problems of size and complexity which have to be solved if it is to look forward to stability and permanence.
There was in the past the problem of imports, which was so affecting the technical developments of local basketball that two schools of thought had come up. There is, first of all, no less than the opinion of the Asian champion team to consider. Kim Yong Ki, former coach of the South Korean team, has stated categorically that he thinks the use of imported players is detrimental to the development of Philippine basketball.
As a foreigner, Kim must have been hesitant to make such an adverse comment on Philippine basketball. But, deciding to be candid, Kim did express the thoughts of some local experts.
The tall Americans so dominate the lane that Filipino centers cannot be used, unless a team does not have any import, like San Miguel Brewery. This, according to Kim, is bad for Philippine basketball because we won’t be developing our centers. Nobody has denied this argument so far.
But, on the other hand, there are those who argue that the shorter Filipino players are learning much on how to play with the big boys, especially in positioning in the lane. After all, if you can’t outjump the other fellow, your best chance is to outmaneuver him.
Also, it is said Filipino players have increased their penetration and undergoal skills because it is a real test to go into a lane patrolled by a towering import.
We are also learning some fundamental techniques from the Americans, in ball handling and, particularly, in defense. And, there are also those who point to the “forced” development of centers like Paner of SMB who had to play against imports like Coward and Pressley.
Experiments in the use of American imports have essentially led to the discovery of a formula that will help Philippine basketball while minimizing the problem of developing centers. The BAP and the MICAA came up with the NCA-styled All-Filipino series. This way, we could profit from the use and non-use of American imports.
The question of relationship between the players and the teams will also have to be examined. The teams, understandably, want to keep their best players tied up. But what about a player who no longer can get along with his coach or his teammates?
And what about the practice of some teams of arbitrarily and suddenly dropping players? Several players had the experience of being informed, just before the start of the season, that they were no longer with the team. Some have missed an entire season because they had no time to look around for a place in another team.
Since the MICAA is the only big league around, the question of players’ rights has to be studied. Perhaps a solution would be for the BAP to adopt regulations which would encourage the development of another league, say, the inter-bank league. Some basketball authorities, on the other hand, are speculating on converting the MICAA to a professional league. This could solve the problem – but there are setbacks. How, for example, could we expect to fare well in the ’73 ABC and the ’74 Asian Games if all our good ball players turn professional?
The MICAA is saddled with many problems but none is as glaring and controversial as that of the suspension of Meralco national cagers Big Boy Reynoso and Bobby Jaworski.
The story must be familiar to all by now. However, the big question is – “did they deserve to be banned from active playing for life?”
There are those who regard the penalty as “too harsh.” But there are others who believe that it had to be done “to preserve basketball in the Philippines.”
Reynoso and Jaworski, in a Meralco press conference, admitted that they had lost their heads, and that they were sorry. “It was a spur-of-the-moment outburst,” Jaworski explained, “but we were not solely to blame. The referees had been making bad calls, and if you’re playing with your heart, practicing basketball four to five hours a day, and then you see all your efforts go down the drain because of two lousy referees – well, you just lose your head.”
To cut the story short, it was insinuated in the press conference that a “gambling syndicate” was behind the “unfair” officiating in the Crispa-Meralco game, and that a thorough investigation by the Basketball Association of the Philippines had to be conducted to find out if the syndicate had had a say in the referees’ decisions, and if so, that the guilty party or parties should be punished accordingly.
According to Jaworski, this is not the first time a thing of this sort has happened. One player from Ysmael Steel, years ago, spat on a referee’s face and he got away with it. Manny Jocson also hit a referee once and all he got was a one-year suspension, Jaworski pointed out.
As of this writing, a hearing requested by the Meralco cagers had already been set. The courses of action by the suspended players will depend on the outcome of the hearing. If the decision turns in favor of the two – there would obviously be no problem (as far as the cagers and their fans are concerned), they would be playing the game they love so well again.
But if the penalty is not lifted nor reduced, “I will see to it that justice is done – through the court,” Jaworski promised.
Despite his optimism, however, the burly 25-year old Olympian has laid out plans for the alternate decision. “Basketball has already become a part of my life. If I get banned from active playing then I will devote the rest of my life to my work (he is senior personnel assistant at Meralco) and to teaching basketball to children from all walks of life. This way, I could feel that I am in my own small way of contributing to the development of the sport.”
As to the decision of the BAP, “it is final,” BAP President Lito Puyat flatly stated. “It is very easy for me to go along with the MICAA decision (suspending them for two years) – but the integrity of Philippine basketball is at stake, and as head of the BAP, it is my duty to safeguard its image. They have committed a grievous mistake and they should be man enough to face the consequences.”
“Supposing this thing happened in an international game – then the reputation we have been trying to wipe out as dirty players will have all gone to waste,” the re-elected Manila councilor added.
When he suspended five players from Crispa last year, Puyat thought that the
drastic penalties would largely eradicate rowdyism in the court. The Crispa
players, specifically Johnny Revilla, according to Puyat had tremendously
improved their attitude in court, and he thought that his would be a lesson to
the rest of the players.
Reynoso’s and Jaworski’s inclusion in the national team to the Munich Olympics had been definite and Puyat believes that their absence would immensely weaken the team. “This would reflect on my administration,” he said, “but I have to sacrifice my popularity and personal glory for the best interest of basketball.”
What compounded the whole mess, according to the BAP head, was the fact that the two were experienced national cagers regarded by many, especially young children, as national heroes in basketball and here they go around hitting and kicking referees with the poor excuse that it was just as an outburst of emotions.
“If they thought that the officiating was unfair,” Puyat said, “they could have approached the Technical Referees Commission which is there for that purpose, and protested the game. They shouldn’t have resorted to violence.”
Referees Eriberto Cruz and Jose Obias, ironically, are two of the country’s best today. Cruz was selected most outstanding referee in the last MICAA tournament and was official representative to the ABC games in Tokyo.
On the other hand, Obias, an accountant, is being groomed by the Referees’ Federation for international officiating, according the BRAP head himself, Crispin Aldiosa.
Caloy Loyzaga, still revered as the best basketball player the Philippines ever had, has this to say, “I was no angel myself during my time, but throughout my playing career, I never hit any player nor referee despite many calls I did not agree with.”
Now, what about the gambling syndicate, which almost everyone knows of but refuses to talk openly about? Is it really as formidable a network as we think it is?
No one knows for sure, but in any case, the syndicate could gamble to their heart’s desire so long as they don’t tamper with the games by bribing or threatening team managers, coaches, players and referees.
There is no hard evidence about a syndicate but a quiet investigation has been going on for a year now, according to Puyat. Still, “syndicated” talk is not good for the MICAA and basketball. Perhaps, an authoritative pronouncement by the persona concerned would allay public suspicion, particularly with regard to officiating.
At present, the biggest problem of the MICAA is still rowdyism, both on and off the court. The spectators, always partisan for the underdog, as in the past, have also been getting out of hand.
Drastic penalties have partly solved the problem of rough play. But there are still outbursts, especially in crucial or prestige games.
It is the crowd that is a real problem. Games are frequently interrupted when spectators throw things onto the floor. Several players and referees have been hit by coins and pieces of ice.
The MICAA is so big, with its financial prospects still growing. Yes, it has become so charged with emotionalism, but no matter the problem – everybody is enthusiastic, everybody is optimistic that eventually, the problem of the biggest sport and basketball league will be resolved.