PBA GC QF: (4) GlobalPort vs (5) STAR Hotshots

Pambansang Ex-Husband
kontra Pambansang Ex-Boyfriend.
Allegedly. Hihi.
(Photo credits to Sports5.ph)

"To be the man, you have to beat the man."

Call it a "rite of passage" for Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle and the rest of the "young" GlobalPort Batang Pier squad who are making their first trip into the PBA Playoffs. Standing in the way? The defending champions STAR Hotshots who started the conference (and basically the entire season) jet-lagged from their Grand Slam high from last year.

Lately? We've been seeing Marc Pingris once again pulling his shorts up and crouching low. We're seeing James Yap making clutch plays over the toughest of defenses. Marqus Blakely is back to being Black Sakuragi (which is somewhat racist, when you think about it) though in a more toned down manner.

Romeo has been frothing at the mouth for an opportunity to play at this level of basketball. He's a high stakes player, built for superstar-making games. There are only two teams that you need to be at your best to become a household name in the PBA: Ginebra, and STAR (Purefoods).

It's the Golden Ticket to the PBA's Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory of Superstardom.

Cruising along

Teamwork.
(Photo credits to Sports5)

We could still recall when GlobalPort Batang Pier team owner Mikee Romero proudly declared that he was going to bring his basketball winning ways from the amateurs (PBL, ABL) into the PBA. We met it as just another positive statement, from a greenhorn who doesn't really understand how the true yet dirty hierarchy of the league works.

Specially for a farm team.

Which they said they were not. Which their fans bought into. Until of course, trades started to become the norm and elite or promising names (players and coaches) walked in and out of their team practices.

But lately, they've been winning.

All thanks to one man's vision, and another man's growing love/ hate reputation.

Seven foot syndrome

Land of the Giants
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

There used to be a period in the Philippine Basketball Association wherein foreign reinforcements were hired mostly for their high-flying, prolific scoring and ultraelectromagnetic athleticism ways.

Nowadays?

We are seeing less and less of the pure "scorers" and more of the seven foot kind-- a testament to how far local basketball talent has come, and where we are currently left lacking.

Sure, there are 6"5 imports running around the league nowadays who are more do-it-all than gunslingers, but all eyes will always be given to the 7"0 specimens-- be it from the fans, media and even (and more importantly) opposing PBA teams.