Mi sueno Espanol

Durant vs Norwood. 2014 FIBA World.
If we're lucky. Or unlucky.
(Photo lifted from the Internet)

A year from now, twenty four teams from all over the world will take part in what promises to be the most spectacular basketball event in recent memory—if only because our very own, newly-minted FIBA Asia silver medalists Gilas Pilipinas will take the Spanish hardcourts with the very best.

We’re talking about none other than the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup (formerly FIBA World Champsionship). As of press time, already qualified are USA (Olympics), Spain (host country), Australia and New Zealand (representing FIBA-Oceana which, you guessed it, only has two teams to speak of), and of course the Asian finalists: Iran, Philippines (that’s us) and Korea.

So what are our chances, really?

Rafe Bartholomew touched on the FIBA Asia qualifiers' chances in the FIBA World tournament, saying “What will happen to proud qualifiers once they arrive on the world stage? They will get pounded.” 

“Pounded.”

Yikes. Almost makes you want to ask what the point of all this was. Why we even bothered to cheer for a team that enjoyed endless support from all corners of the Philippines just to watch them be on the receiving end of an adult-sized spanking?

It’s because we love the game.

We don’t just play to win, we play for fun. We play for chance. We play for luck.

The local media coined it as “puso” or “heart.” We credit it to Filipinos’ innate ability to just take it all in stride—wins or losses. We don’t sulk, we don’t kick ourselves over and jump off the nearest high rise.

We regroup, we recover, we learn.

And in true Pinoy fashion, we smile.

Iran’s men’s basketball team head coach Mehmed Becirovic cited our lack of ceiling to be a major concern come the 2014 FIBA World. This, despite young centers 6”9 Japeth Aguilar and 6”10 Junmar Fajardo all taking turns in guarding 7”2 FIBA Asia MVP Hammed Haddadi. And who knows what could’ve happened had our own super big man, Marcus Douthit, not been injured for the Finals? Oh, and we still have 7”0 Greg Slaughter who is just as imposing whenever he feels like throwing his weight around.

We could only shake our heads in agreement. We’re not small at the center spot. We’re small from players 1 to 4.

Our best shooters, Gilas or not, stand no taller than 6”2. Our point guards, gifted in all of Asia, are lucky enough to reach 6”0 on rubber shoes. The power forwards? 6”5. Just about the average height of a European shooting guard/ small forward.

So yeah, it’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be rough. Hell, we’d be lucky to win two games in 2014 even if we did send our very best (re: no drama coming from both local camps).

But we can dream. We dream everyday.

You say Russell Westbrook will break L.A. Tenorio’s ankles? We say Japeth Aguilar is going to dunk on a fool. That Pau Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol will take turns just punishing our bigs? We say Jayson Castro is going to pull off three amazing coast-to-coast lay-ups right at their Spanish mugs.

And Kevin Durant’s going to drop 30 for sure, but Gabe Norwood’s going to make him miss three or five of his shots one-on-one.

Mi sueno Espanol, su sueno Espanol.