You may have noticed my sudden lack of posting over the past 2 weeks, especially since I'm usually quite active. I've been overseas visitting family and attending a wedding in the Philippines. For someone like me who lives in Australia this is a great as far as watching NBA is concerned. The Philippines aires much more NBA games than Australia. The ratio is about 5:1 (Phil:Aus). I was like a kid in a candy store. Therefore you could imagine how happy I must've been to watch my first Rockets game in 2 years as opposed to looking at stats. the Philippines is a great place and has a huge basketball following. I played with my cousins and realised how hard it is to play in a totally different system to what I'm used to. I must give some props to Yao Ming for adjusting to the NBA. In Australia I am used to playing a half court style game including cutting into the paint and lots of shooting. Its a hybrid of American and Euro style of playing. The Philippines is much different. Almost every single play is a fast break and they really have a thing for zone defense. Its interesting playing in a different system.
Oh nice, glad to see you're back and posting, must be horrible to come back and hardly have any Rocket games televised lol, at least they're going to televise more Rocket games now as we head into the NBA Finals
Well if I had cable, yes, but I don't. As they say "I WANT MY FOXTEL!" <---- something you'd really own understand if you live in Australia.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dakeem1:</div><div class="quote_post">Well if I had cable, yes, but I don't. As they say "I WANT MY FOXTEL!" <---- something you'd really own understand if you live in Australia.</div> Didn't Riverspoon Jones give you that site to download games? I guess it's been a plesant return to JBB for you huh, being accepted to the writing team and getting access to the new Rockets Lounge. Weren't you on the original list back then in the summer?
Yes I have a few sites I can get games from. Yes its been a great return. I'm very happy for getting accepted to the writing team. I am currently doing a University degree in journalism. Writing (along with music) is my passion. So Trip, do you think its a little too off topic to tell the others in the Rockets forum about my acceptance to the writing team? By the way, thanks for the support.
Welcome back Dakeem1!. I'm glad that you enjoyed your stay in my country. Though I already moved here in the US 4 years ago I cannot wait for the time I'll be having my vacation there maybe in the next few years. Did you know that the Philippines has the only Professional Basketball League in Asia? I know you would think China has a lot of commercial teams but they are all Amateur Teams. The likes of Torraye Braggs, Matt Barnes and Der Marr Johnson have already played there. Torraye Braggs got a Championship there playing for the most popular teams in the Philippines last year. If not for the Rockets' acquiring of Braggs this year he would have gone back to the Philippines and played on the same team again. Like you've told us about your experience playing there, I remembered during highschool when I was so active playing basketball. Though we have 8 basketball courts(including 3 soccer fields) in our school, the court was always jam packed with kids playing from ages 9(third grade) thru 16(senior high) during break time. It was like a court with 2-6 teams playing together simultaneously and they don't mind each other. It was hard though cause you have to avoid hitting other kids in the traffic during a fastbreak and getting rebounds out of the crowd. It was not always like that though especially in times Intramurals and Tournaments. I hope the Philippines would make it to the Olympics this time now that China has already have an automatic rights into it courtesy of being a host country. It will be up for grabs between Japan, Philippines, South Korea and Kazahkztan for the remaining Asian slot. Philippines can take on Japan and Kazahkztan but are evenly match with South Korea. South Koreans played similarly like the NBA's Suns and Sonics. Lots of shooters from behind the arc. They beat the Philippines by a last second 3 pt. shot to win by one point in the last Asian Games 2002. The Philippines could have faced China in the Championship although they could have lost and blown out because China has Yao Ming. Anyway to finish the story South Korea went on to beat Yao Ming and China for the Gold medal with the help of their torrid outside shooting in which Yao Ming was helpless. Yao did get his revenge on South Korea the following year in the Asian Qualifier for the rights to represent in the 2004 Olympics. Hopefully if China plays well to be at least on the Top 4 finish on the World Basketball Championship, it will mean 3 slots(including China the automatic qualifier) for Asia in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sorry Guys for posting again another long article.
Highly doubt that China's league is not a professional one. It has had quite a few star players like Wang ZhiZhi, Yao, and Yi Jian Lian. Surely they get paid? The Chinese Basketball Association is likely the most successful league in Asia.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">Highly doubt that China's league is not a professional one. It has had quite a few star players like Wang ZhiZhi, Yao, and Yi Jian Lian. Surely they get paid? The Chinese Basketball Association is likely the most successful league in Asia.</div> China Basketball League/Association is an Amateur one. I have the same question also in my mind about why they(Chinese) won't convert to Professional League given their success and dominance in asian basketball. They are paid however like most athletes do.
Blue, never new you were Filipino. I'm mystizo (Half filipino to those who don't dont what it means) and got to meet lost of family members i hadn't seen in over 10 years. Its was great. When you say that Braggs played for the most popular team in the PBA you're refering to Baranguay Ginebra right? I don't know too much about Proffessional Filipino Basketball but my cousins tell me about Ginebra being the team with all the superstars. I have a friend from Australia, also Mystizo currently playing in the URBL, a provincial league in the Philippines. Ginebra, Talk n Text, and another team are interested in him. They already invited him to train with them but he is taking his time to acquire mroe experience. He is training with the San Miguel All-stars nowadays so he is learning from the PBA legends and greats. You may see him in the PBA next year,. The name's Richard Michael. I still wonder why the Philippines never aulify for Olympics. Ball is HUGE in the Philippines, and i think that the sport is most loved in the world by Filipinos. Blue, also did you know I met Bong Alvarez last year? He's the only player I know of in Filipino basketball. ALl I know is he's a legend. He told me he's currently playing in the states. I forgot the name of the league.
Lol yeah I havent been able to post lately as well because of work and School activities and such. But I'm back and I'm gonna hopefully stay and post a little bit more than I have lately.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dakeem1:</div><div class="quote_post">Blue, never new you were Filipino. I'm mystizo (Half filipino to those who don't dont what it means) and got to meet lost of family members i hadn't seen in over 10 years. Its was great. When you say that Braggs played for the most popular team in the PBA you're refering to Baranguay Ginebra right? I don't know too much about Proffessional Filipino Basketball but my cousins tell me about Ginebra being the team with all the superstars. I have a friend from Australia, also Mystizo currently playing in the URBL, a provincial league in the Philippines. Ginebra, Talk n Text, and another team are interested in him. They already invited him to train with them but he is taking his time to acquire mroe experience. He is training with the San Miguel All-stars nowadays so he is learning from the PBA legends and greats. You may see him in the PBA next year,. The name's Richard Michael. I still wonder why the Philippines never aulify for Olympics. Ball is HUGE in the Philippines, and i think that the sport is most loved in the world by Filipinos. Blue, also did you know I met Bong Alvarez last year? He's the only player I know of in Filipino basketball. ALl I know is he's a legend. He told me he's currently playing in the states. I forgot the name of the league.</div> I'm glad that you've enjoyed your vacation there Dakeem. I was thinking before when you've mentioned in the Rockets Forum you're having a trip in the Philippines that you're somehow a filipino or a half-filipino. So I guess I was right. Yup! It was Barangay Ginebra Team where Torraye Braggs played last year. I think he was averaging 20+ points and between 16-18 rebs per game on the team. B.Ginebra have been the most popular team since the 80's. They had their share of winning championships but only once in a while. They're always playing with the home crowd no matter where the game is played. I know one Fil-Aussie who plays in the PBA right now. His name is Mick Pennisi. I think he's the tallest player there with a height of 6"10. He's purely a perimeter player type not the inside presence that you expect from the one you already consider a center. Maybe you're friend might be a big name in the PBA Draft this coming summer. I'll keep an eye on him. The only reason why the Philippines is not too dominant in Asian basketball is, they always send a bunch of inexperienced amateur players instead of their professional players. But there has been an improvement lately. Before, International Basketball events coincides with the PBA season so professional players were not available. Right now they adjust the calendar of the PBA season so professional players can play and they dedicate some time so they can jell enough to develop teamwork and familiarity with each other. That's the good news. Philippines can match every country in Asia except for China. The reason why? The Philippine team does'nt have the height advantage to match the likes of Yao and other tall chinese players. The tallest player in the RP Team is about 6"8 or 6"9. Filipino players are quick and physical players but the Chinese players are tall, good shooters and have been with each other for a long time. Bong Alvarez has been a skywalker type of player during his peak. He's only 6"3 but he's quick and can dunk on anabody. I think right now he's playing with the USBL together with other filipino and fil-am players who are past their prime. He's already on his late 30's. He started playing professionally in 1989. Is Aussie basketball legend Andrew Gaze still playing? I think there will so much excitement in Australia as Andrew Bogut will have a chance to be the no.1 pick in the NBA Draft.
Blue, Andrew Gaze was still palying last season. The season finished a month ago andm aybe it might've been his alst. I'm not too sure. I'm excited about Andrew Bogut, but the Australian media coverage of him has been poor. At the moment, Australian basketball is at its lowest in popularity. It is impossible to watch a televised game without cable. Aussies love their sports, but that usually consists of Rugby and Cricket rather than the great sport of basketball. Thats one thing I loved about the Philipines. I could play ball with mroe people. My friend, Richard Michael, actually entered the PBA draft last year but had problems due to his manager being overseas and sick. Therefore there was no one promoting him to the team managers on draft day. It was a disaster. So now he is a free agent in the PBA but currently plays in the URBL to gain experience like I've mentioned before. Some teams want him already, but he is taking his time so he can make an instant impact rather than sitting on the bench. He's quite mature for choosing to wait.
