Iran continued to make big waves in the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship while the Philippines has to settle for a few ripples.

An unknown force until their emergence in Tokushima, Japan two years ago, the Iranians will again be singing their way to a global stage.

After the Beijing Olympics last year, it’s Istanbul in 2010 for the 16th FIBA World Championship.

And how did it all begin for the back-to-back champions, and what could be in store for Philippine basketball, here’s a look back and a glimpse forward.

From the rugged mountains of Iran and Lebanon to the sun-baked deserts of Jordan, the writing is on the wall – Asian basketball supremacy has shifted to the Middle East.

Heads and shoulders above everybody in size and agility, Middle Eastern teams have opened a chasm between them and the rest of the region, including erstwhile powerhouse China.

The widening gap eventually swallowed the field in the 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship, with the defending champion Iranians annihilating the host Chinese, 70-52, in the final game Sunday at the Tianjin gymnasium.

Before a boisterous hometown crowd who believed their heroes were invincible, China crumbled as Iran, whose FIBA Asia Olympic qualifying victory in Tokushima came into question because the Chinese didn’t bother to field it’s A-Team as host of the Beijing Summer Games the following year, thumped their chests after exposing Yi Jianlian, Sun Yue and Wang Zhizhi as mere mortals in the face of the emerging forces in the continent.

So distraught were the Lebanese after losing to China in the semifinal Saturday, 72-68, that they offered the Jordanians only a shell of their original form, the one which had the Chinese on the ropes until a referee stepped in and decided the outcome in the closing seconds.

The Iranians witnessed the atrocity committed against Lebanon and learned their lesson, never allowing anybody to alter their destiny by roaring ahead early and keeping the pressure mounted throughout the championship.

Other Asian teams, including long-time traditional powers South Korea, Japan and the Philippines, found themselves left out in the cold, shivering against the whipping winds sweeping the Asian basketball landscape.

Powerade-Team Pilipinas, comprised of professional players from the Philippine Basketball Association, wasn’t fast enough to run for cover when the winds of change came howling. The 2009 Nationals received a blessing during the draw and with the modified tournament format which called for three teams, instead of two, to move on from each group.

Unbeaten South Korea, the Philippines, and Japan advance from Group A to the next phase of the elimination, facing off with Group B’s Iran, Chinese-Taipei and Kuwait, an encounter that ended the campaigns of Japan and Kuwait and sent the top four teams to the crossover quarterfinals.

Over in the other two groups, China, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar were decisively grinding out the opposition in clinching quarterfinal seats.

It was China vs. Chinese-Taipei, Jordan vs. RP, Lebanon vs. South Korea, and Qatar vs. Iran for spots in the Final Four.

Emerging after the smoke of battle settled down were China, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar.

Falling behind by as many as 15 points while missing 18 free throws, the Nationals came back to as close as five points before surrendering an 81-70 defeat to the Jordanians, who massacred them by 31 points in the William Jones Cup tournament in Taipei last month.

The Philippines thus bid goodbye to a dream appearance in the World Championship after more than two decades, a goal many thought was too lofty to aim for in the first place with the Nationals’ little training at home and even more sparse exposure outside.

Their unfamiliarity with international rules and the physical brand of play also came to fore when they blew a chance to reach Istanbul via another route – the wildcard pool in December where the fourth- and fifth-placed teams in Tianjin could get an invite to a single round clash to pick four more qualifiers – when they lost to a tall and fast Qatari team, 83-65, in the match for fifth.

Then came the rematch with South Korea, which has beaten the Philippines in the Jones Cup and again as group-mates in the preliminary round.

At stake is redemption against a team that had left a dagger imbedded in the hearts of Filipinos after Lee Sang-Min hit that buzzer-beating three-point shot in the semifinal game of the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.

The Nationals had a 10-point lead going in the fourth quarter but squandered it all with cold shooting and turnovers, missing three straight attempts in the closing seconds and winding up reliving the nightmare of seven years past when guard Yang Dong-Geun scored on an improbable fastbreak layup with practically the entire RP team draped all over him as South Korea ran away with an 82-80 victory and seventh place.

***

Iran, in sweeping nine games en route to the championship, had 7-foot-3 center Hamed Ehadadi, true. But it also has an array of lights-out shooters who never flinched when the going got tough.

With only the certified gunners allowed to shoot from 20.5 feet out – the three-point line -- in the PBA, except for one or two teams, the RP team’s big men flailed around in unfamiliar territory in trying to keep pace with opponents as big, if not bigger, who were draining triples like they were free throws.

Oh, and then there’s the matter of shooting foul shots.

Atrocious at worst and average at best, the Nationals simply were not a free throw shooting team, either from lack of individual practice or a collective dilemma brought about by the limited attention their mother teams pay this most basic of fundamentals.

Finally, there’s the motivation and the commitment.

A call has been made by national coach Yeng Guiao for the PBA to keep an open mind with its initial decision to implement an exit plan after the Tianjin tournament, allowing the newly-formed Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to take over the mantle of forming RP teams for future international tournaments.

PBA commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios has pledged to bring the matter for discussion with the board of governors, and Sta. Lucia Realty representative Buddy Encarnado has strongly endorsed Guiao’s gambit.

But is anybody asking the players, multi-million peso minor deities, who among them are dedicated to sacrifice time, money and effort for flag and country?

Has a quiet referendum been set to determine who among them are willing to put national interest ahead of personal gain?

And will a committee be formed to study game tapes from as far back as Busan to Tokushima and now Tianjin to find out who among the players made the grade and who fell by the wayside, committing less of themselves as the tournaments got longer and the losses piled up?

If the PBA can find 15 players willing to undergo extensive training, stay together for a prolonged period of time to bond and create chemistry among them, and be proud enough to wear the Philippine flag on their jerseys, then it could go right ahead with the SBP in exploring the possible fruits of a renewed partnership.

If not, then the PBA should take a deep bow, having served the country from 1990 during the Beijing Asian Games where it won a silver – the highest finish by a PBA-backed, no-Fil-foreign player in an international competition, and let the SBP run the show.

But in the event the pro league does find 15 from its backyard who are willing, then the SBP might want to help its cause by sending along a seven-foot naturalized player to spice things up for the RP team in-wating.

Otherwise, without that man in the middle, all this is idle talk, all dreams just wistful and wishful thinking, and all effort and support – as Coca-Cola’s JB Baylon continues to commit – destined to go down the drain.

Powerade Team Pilipinas finished its Fiba Asia Championship campaign with a 4-5 record and good for eighth place in the 16-team field; an improvement from the country’s ninth-place finish in 2007 but nevertheless short of the ultimate goal of a top-three placing and automatic entry into the World Championships next year.

However, as easy it is to label Team Pilipinas’ bid a "failure," this space would rather view it in the contrary. It may be akin to looking at things as half-full than half-empty but still with the many lessons that could be learned from the nationals’ Fiba-Asia campaign, and in turn be used for future forays internationally, it is safe to say that it is not entirely futile.

Primordial of the things to derive from RP’s recent Fiba-Asia stop is that Philippine basketball is still alive in the continental, if not global, scheme of things.

As opposed to the pervading view that RP hoops is no longer relevant in Asia, our boys proved otherwise. We are the kings of Southeast Asian basketball and pitted against the top dogs in the region we held our own. We beat teams like Japan, Chinese Taipei and Kuwait, squads that were deemed to have improved immensely vis-a-vis the Philippines, while at the same time making a good account of ourselves even in defeat versus powerhouses Iran, Jordan and Korea. Save for the game against Qatar where we played listlessly, the Philippines by and large showed to the world that it is still a force to deal with in Asian basketball.

Another thing is the importance of preparation. Of all the teams that competed in the Fiba-Asia, Team Pilipinas could well have been the most "ill-prepared," with gestation abbreviated for various reasons. Despite this, we were still in the thick of competition, running roughshod with the best of them. Had we had more time to fine-tune our stuff, e.g. outside shooting, defense and free-throw shooting, among others, who knows where we could have ended up.

Asian, or for that matter international, competition is all about having the young guys around. While it was a gem seeing guys like Asi Taulava and Mick Pennisi who are in their mid-30s strutting their wares and mattering, it was hard to ignore the emphasis on youth in the entire field. If we are to make far greater wave in the future, we need to keep in step with the competition as far as infusing young legs in our team. Doing so, we afford ourselves the ability to be at par with our rivals not only during game-time situations but more importantly as far as sustaining team growth and development.

Then there is the need to explore alternative ways to improve our competitiveness. Foremost is the naturalization of players to help our cause. We just have to look at teams like Jordan and Lebanon who have naturalized players to much fruitful results. With lack of height a big bane for us, we can certainly use a couple of seven-footers who can add ceiling to our team. The prospects for such look promising especially when played in tandem with our athletic forwards and guards. We already tried the option in the ’80s and turned out to be a success. Why not use it now?

While an eighth-place finish was far from the hoped-for placing for the Philippines, still it was not that bad as it appeared to be. The nationals represented well and in the process earned the respect of rivals and observers alike, and their play churning out valuable lessons that future RP teams can definitely learn from. Mabuhay Team Pilipinas! Thanks for making as proud.

BusinessWorld

THE brave but ultimately failed charge of the Powerade Team Pilipinas in the Fiba-Asia in Tianjin, China, actually confirmed what we've known all along. The Philippines cannot rely on raw talent if it hopes to again excel in the Asian stage in basketball.

The Philippines placed eighth after losing to Korea in its final game yesterday, not much of an improvement from its ninth-place finish in the Fiba Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan, two years ago.

Under the agreement with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the Philippine Basketball Association now officially relinquishes the reins of representing the country to the Smart-Gilas RP team, which shall henceforth represent the country in future international competitions.

But hold it. National team coach Yeng Guiao has a better idea.

Yeng believes that the PBA should continue representing the country in international competitions. As far as Yeng is concerned, Team Pilipinas now is a much-improved team from what it was two years ago and that disbanding the team and letting Smart Gilas represent the country from now on will mean throwing away all the gains already made.

Yeng believes that the PBA should keep the Team Pilipinas intact and then send it to future international competitions. His position is that if the best RP players could barely hold their own against the Asian powerhouses, then what chances do the youngsters of Smart-Gilas have?

Additionally, Guiao believes, and I have to agree with him on this, that the PBA players will ultimately benefit from sending its best player regularly in international competitions.

Smart Gilas is a laudable effort, but the main problem with this program is continuity.

Even if assuming Smart will be willing to sponsor and carry the national colors indefinitely, what about the players? You can train a group of players for optimum performance, but then after they reach their peak what happens next?

That is the problem with the NCC RP team model. We just saw its success. We never saw what would have followed after that when its best players (Jeff Moore, Chip Engeland, Dennis Still, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim) got older.

Would the NCC RP team have been able to sustain that level of competitiveness after its players got older, or would we have been back to square one needing to start another cycle starting at the bottom for another 10 years before the next batch of national players are trained and ready for international competition?

The Guiao model will eliminate any transition phase because that national team will always have the best RP players at its disposal.

I like where Yeng is going with this. But being that SBP is controlled by the Smart people and not necessarily the PBA, I hope an agreement will be reached on how the PBA can continue to send teams to represent the country in international competitions.

Reuel Vidal
Manila Standard Today

***

Basketball, as it is played in the PBA, calls for one-on-one forays or basic pick-and-roll two man games that focus on the league’s superstars.

International competition shuns isolation plays–the cornerstone of playground basketball–and emphasizes head-on defense, quick ball rotation, multiple layers of screens and player movement, and long-distance bombing.

Iran, in sweeping nine games en route to the championship, had 7-foot-3 center Hamed Ehadadi, a player for the Memphis Grizzlies. But it also has an array of lights-out shooters who never flinched when the going got tough.

With only the certified gunners allowed to shoot from 17 feet out in the PBA, except for one or two teams, the RP team’s big men flailed around in unfamiliar territory in trying to keep pace with opponents as big, if not bigger, who were draining triples like they were free throws.

A call has been made by national coach Yeng Guiao for the PBA to keep an open mind with its initial decision to implement an exit plan after the Tianjin tournament, allowing the newly-formed Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to take over the mantle of forming RP teams for future international tournaments.

But has anybody asked the players, multi-million peso minor deities, who among them is dedicated.

Malaya

IT would take the Philippines years to find the next Triggerman, but Powerade-Team Pilipinas team manager urged that shooters from all levels of basketball must be bred like mosquitoes.

"We need little Caidics," Baylon said, referring to young players in the mold of Allan Caidic, the best pure shooter ever to represent the Philippine team in international basketball competitions. "We need to breed these shooters like mosquitoes."

Baylon, also the board governor of Coca-Cola in the Philippine Basketball Association, said that 3-point and free-throw shooting made a big difference in Powerade-Team Pilipinas' losing game against Korea.

The Philippines shot a horrible 14.8 percent from beyond-the-arc (4-of-27) in a 56-69 setback to the Koreans. Worse, the Filipinos barely made the 50-percent mark from the free-throw line.

In the Pinoys' game against the defending champion Iranians, coach Yeng Guiao's troop went to the line twice and made only two-of-four shots for a 50-percent clip, while shooting 37.2 percent from the 3-point territory.

Such numbers won't give the Philippines a chance to beat heavyweight squads from the region.

"If we could do better by 50 percent from the 3-point region, we have a better chance of winning," said Baylon. "But I am really jealous at the free-throw shooting of other teams."

For professional players, missing a free throw is a cardinal sin, especially when playing in international basketball tournament.

"We should challenge our professional players to have a respectable free-throw average. Kaya nga gift shots yun eh, ibig sabihin bigay na," said Baylon. "Once I return to the Philippines, I intend to come down hard on any Coca-Cola Tiger, who shoots woefully from the line."

Caidic and fellow PBA great and four-time Most Valuable Player Alvin Patrimonio are two of the best foul shooters in the pro league. They said free-throw shooting should be given extra time in practice.

"Dati, kapag endgame na and lamang kami, agawan na kami agad kung sino kukuha ng bola," said Caidic. "We knew that they [opposing team] would foul the guy with the ball immediately."

For Patrimonio, free-throw shooting is a combination of physical and mental aspects.

?Minsan, sa paghawak ng bola, posture and release, alam mo na agad kung tama ?yung ginagawa ng free-throw shooter,? said Patrimonio. ?But I think the mental aspect should also be considered. You should believe that you can make those free throws, any game, any time.?

TICKETS for the Nov. 14 bout between Manny Pacquiao and World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto won’t be on sale until Monday next week but the buzz is beginning to heat up Las Vegas and rooms at the MGM Grand are already becoming scarce.

A report by T.K. Stewart of boxingscene.com said ringside tickets for the match, considered the biggest this year, will sell at $1,000 each, with the farthest seats selling for $150.

Demand for tickets is expected to shoot up next week, with Stewart reporting that ringside tickets, this early, are already selling for an astounding 22 times their face value at $22,536.

Even in an economy that is reeling and on the ropes, the few available tickets for the general public are expected to be scooped up within hours of going on sale.

With more than months left before the bout, most of the over 5,000 rooms at the MGM Grand have already been booked for the weekend of Nov. 14th, according to Stewart. Only the high-end rooms at the MGM are still available for the weekend of the fight.

A travel agent booking rooms at the hotel, unaware of the coming fight, told Stewart: "There’s must be something big going on for this happen. The only thing I have open are the signature rooms. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen three months in advance. Usually, and especially lately, I can get rooms at the MGM quite easily, they have five thousand of them, so I’m a little shocked to see that to be honest with you."

Told that a big boxing match was taking place on that weekend, the agent nodded and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, that’s still interesting because I’ve handled travel arrangements for people going to Vegas for New Years’ Eve as well as UFC events and I don’t think I’ve never known the MGM to be that full that far in advance."

Expect a bunch of legislators from the Philippiness pour down the ringside seats with their entourage.

ROBERT Jaworski, the Living Legend of Philippine basketball, paid tribute to Powerade-Team Pilipinas for its fighting heart, as shown in their games against Chinese Taipei and defending champion Iran in the Fiba Asia Men’s Basketball Championships in Tianjin, China.

“What’s most essential is not your size, but your heart,” said Jaworski, who added he was overjoyed that at long last, the team’s outside shooting clicked courtesy of James Yap, Willie Miller, Pennisi, JayJay Helterbrand and in the Iran game, the surprising Jared Dillinger and even Gabe Norwood.

Jaworski said it was all right to lose, for “as long as you play your heart out, because that’s what the public loves.”

At the same time, the former former Ginebra playing-coach agreed with national coach Yeng Guiao that the team doesn't know how to earn fouls, even as he noted that disparity in free throws against Iran was a revelation.

Ronnie Nathanielsz
Manila Standard Today

The PBA could never turn its back on representing the country in international competitions and must adjust its sights accordingly.

This was stressed by Powerade-Team Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao, who said a mid-range program that should rival those of the Asian powerhouse teams will have to be put in place, adding it could only be done when the PBA starts thinking out of the box and learn to bite the bullet.

"We cannot go on selling the perception that we are the best in Asia when every time na lumabas tayo talo," Guiao told a group of Filipino reporters here during a break in the 25th FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship. "Parang the public is being short-changed."

The Philippines’ recent losses in the international arena, Guiao added, was due mainly to the absence of a program that looks at the future instead of just the present, exemplified best by any PBA-backed team virtually starting from scratch.

"The next time you want to compete in an international competition, back to zero ka na naman. ‘Yung experience mo ngayon di mo magagamit," he pointed out. "So mag-aaral ka na naman, isasanay mo na naman ang mga players.

"Hindi mo na-accumulate ‘yung knowledge (of international play). Dapat sana nagpo-progress ka. ‘Yung Korean team accumulated lahat ng knowledge nila. ‘Yung Chinese-Taipei accumulated nila lahat iyun."

The PBA’s agreement with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas for the former to represent the country abroad expires after this World Championship qualifier and the latter has a program that is set to take over.

But Guiao insisted the country’s best players will be in the PBA in their prime, that’s why the SBP will still turn to the pro league for RP teams to international competitions.

In anticipation of such an SBP request, Guiao batted for the PBA to come up with a program that will involve a selection and have it practice together in-between conferences or seasons and represent the country when needed.

"Huwag na nating guluhin ang PBA schedule," he reasoned. "Kapag break, lalabas, play abroad. In one or two years pag-aaralan natin ang sistema sa labas."

The experience can only make the PBA players better and more attuned to international play and will also help improve the quality of play in the PBA, he maintained.

"Mai-improve mo ang level ng competition," he stated. "Iba na ang level, kasi kung tayo-tayo rin lang ang laging naghaharap, parang in-breeding lang iyan."

Guiao insisted he is not broaching the idea to perpetuate himself as RP coach.

-Malaya

HE may be a part of the Powerade-Team Pilipinas for only a week, but Ginebra coach Jong Uichico said that the squad battling for pride and honor in the Fiba Asia Men’s Basketball Championships in Tianjin, China, is right on target.

“They’re on the right track,” the multi-titled mentor told Standard Today after the team lost to Korea Saturday. “A 2-1 record is better than being down 1-2. I think they’re doing just fine.”

Uichico joined head coach Yeng Guiao and the other members of the coaching staff on the bench when the squad competed in the annual William Jones Cup in Taipei. He helped make the scouting report and became an integral part in the selection process of the Final 12 for Tianjin.

For Uichico, Guiao and his troop can definitely surpass the RP team’s previous ninth-place finish in the same tournament in Tokushima two years ago.

“We have a big chance of reaching the next round. If we reach the next round, that means Top 8 na agad tayo,” said Uichico, who was a teammate of Guiao with the La Salle High School team in the NCAA. “But realistically, we can do better. Another 2-1 record would mean 4-2 na ‘yung record natin and that means we will be at least in the Top 4. Of course, we want to avoid being at no. 4. Our target would possibly be in the top three to avoid a confrontation with the top squad.”

An eight-time PBA champion, Uichico said the Philippines matches up well against Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei. The bigger problem he sees for the Philippines are the teams from the Middle East, as well as host China.

“The Middle East countries both have size and speed and after 35 or 40 minutes, we are all banged up and exhausted,” said Uichico

-Manila Standard Today

RAIN or Shine has just added a veteran presence to young Philippine Basketball Association team.

The Elasto Painters tabbed 6’7” center/forward Mark Telan from the Coca-Cola Tigers late Friday to beef up its small frontline.

Coca-Cola board representative JB Baylon, who is in Tianjin, China, confirmed to Standard Today in an online interview that they have agreed to trade Telan for future second-round picks.

“We have agreed to trade Mark [Telan]. It was part of the direction we want to undergo this season,” said Baylon, who is in China as team manager for the Powerade-Team Pilipinas basketball team in the Fiba Asia Men’s Basketball Championships. “We want a faster and younger team.”

A 10-year veteran, who was a direct hire by Tanduay back in 1999, the 33-year-old Telan averaged 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in last season’s Philippine Cup.

-Manila Standard Today

MANNY Pacquiao said he would be very happy to fight for the World Boxing Council’s newly-minted “Diamond Belt,” adding he appreciates the offer made by WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman.

Sulaiman told Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz early Friday about the WBC’s plan to institute the Diamond Belt for elite fighters at catch weights.

Koncz, who was with Pacquiao when Standard Today called, said the Filipino champion was pleased and honored to fight for the belt, since he has been a longtime WBC champion in different weight divisions and has proudly worn its belts in the past.

The adviser said he would meet with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum next week in the US and inform him that Pacquiao wishes to fight World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto for the WBC Diamond Belt on Nov. 14.

Sulaiman said the WBC board of governors had voted unanimously to implement the Diamond Belt concept, which they said will help promoters and television networks “looking for highly interesting and passionate battles for the benefit of boxing fans around the world.”

In a press statement, the WBC said it believes this belt will play a very important role in modern boxing as the catch weight fights between elite boxers have not been a complete success due to the fact that nothing is at stake.

Under the proposal, the WBC wants promotions to render homage to the two greatest fighters of such division, who will be showcased in the battle for the belt.

Sulaiman said the belt will use the same design as the famous WBC green and gold belt, but the material will include 18-karat gold fusion and will be encrusted with 598 diamonds, 196 emeralds, 6 rubies and 150 other semi-precious stones.

-Manila Standard Today

TALK N Text, a team seeking to become the first squad to defend an All-Filipino crown in 24 years, has just added another important ingredient to its winning formula.

Nic Belasco, a 6’7” veteran journeyman, was acquired by the Tropang Texters via a three-team trade involving Coca-Cola and Burger King. The 12-year veteran will be joining his fifth squad.

Belasco’s inclusion will certainly add depth to the Tropang Texters’ frontline rotation. He will be reunited with former frontline partner Ali Peek.

The other frontliners on the squad include national team standout Ranidel de Ocampo, Harvey Carey and Yousif Aljamal.

The Tropang Texters are still now negotiating with 6’9” slotman Yancy de Ocampo, whose contract expired last month.

“We’re talking to him and I believe we will be able to sign him up,” Talk N Text board representative Ricky Vargas told Standard Today.

The Whopper got 6’7” forward Rob Reyes on the deal, while the Tigers secured the services of hardworking Larry Rodriguez.

The trade was floated during the Rookie Draft, but was only consummated yesterday as the Tropang Texters needed time to decide which player to unload.

Reyes, a promising player who spent most of his time sitting on the bench, was the chosen one.

Whether the Whopper would keep him or use him as part of another possible trade transaction remains to be seen. Burger King is planning to unload two more frontliners.

The season-starting All-Filipino Conference begins on Oct. 11.

-Manila Standard Today

The musical chairs have once again come out in the Philippine Basketball Association. In the last fortnight, player movements have been aplenty in the local pro league with all parties involved angling to get the best possible talent to help them in their respective causes next season.

First to pull a trade were the Fiesta Conference champions San Miguel Beermen who acquired the do-it-all forward Arwind Santos from the Burger King Whoppers. In exchange, the Whoppers got forwards Marc Pingris and Ken Bono and the Beermen’s first-round rookie pick next year. The inclusion of Pingris somehow came as a surprise since he played a big part in San Miguel’s recent championship run and that in the run-up to the trade big man Samigue Eman was the one being dangled with Bono and veteran Chris Calaguio. Interestingly enough, Burger King released Pingris no sooner to the Purefoods TJ Giants for the latter’s first and second-round draft picks in 2010.

Hoping to build on their major strides the past season, the Rain or Shine Elastopainters went out and got themselves a couple of pistoleros in Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak from the Barako Bull Energy Boosters. In return, ROS gave up veteran Rob Wainwright and center Mark Andaya. Chan and Hrabak are going to be counted on to spread out the floor for their new team with their outside gunslinging to open up things for ROS’ big men and slashers.

Getting help for their frontline are the Sta. Lucia Realtors who got the much-improved forward Gabby Espinas from Barako Bull for this year's seventh pick. If Espinas continues with his improving play, he will be a boon to the Realtors with Marlou Aquino and Espino advancing in age and Kelly Williams coming off a bout with a serious blood disorder.

After making national player Japeth Aguilar the no. 1 pick in this year’s draft and getting Bono in the San Miguel trade, Burger King got further help via the explosive Ronjay Buenafe from the Coca-Cola Tigers for the rights over no. 3 pick Chris Ross, guard Marvin Cruz and its 13th pick in the recent draft. Buenafe is expected to somehow fill the offensive vacuum left by Santos along with staple Gary David. BK also acquired the rights to no. 18 pick Orlando Daroya from the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

Coca-Cola, for its part, got itself busy as well as aside from Ross and Cruz, it took guard Jojo Duncil and forward Larry Rodriguez from Barako Bull and rookie Francis Allera for the 13th pick from Burger King. Talk is also rife that sniper Ren-Ren Ritualo of the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters is set to join the squad for veteran Nic Belasco.

Another far-reaching trade coming on the heels of the recent rookie draft was that involving sister teams Purefoods and Ginebra with Burger King serving as conduit. The Giants released Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Celino Cruz and Paolo Bugia to the Kings in exchange for the rights to no. 8 pick Chris Timberlake, guard Paul Artadi and Rafi Reavis. Villanueva and Alvarez are set to shore up the battered Ginebra frontline while Artadi is to revisit his old job with the Giants as playmaker and on-court partner to James Yap. Second-year player Cholo Villanueva also joins Ginebra from Burger King.

-Malaya

The Celtics and Bulls have played a playoff-record four overtime games, a fifth game was decided in the final seconds of regulation ... and there's still one more game to be played in this thrilling first-round series. Here's a look at how seventh-seeded Chicago and defending champion Boston arrived at a winner-take-all Game 7.



There isn’t much else to say about this game but simply amazing. The Bulls ended up pulling this out in triple overtime 128-127. Ray Allen’s 51 points and 9 three-pointers were wasted by a more balanced Chicago Bulls attack (5 players in double figures). The real difference came in triple overtime when the Celtics already without Kevin Garnett had 3 starters fouled out of the game (Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins). The final decisive play came at 128-127 and Rajon Rondo penetrated and then faded away and was rejected by the impressive rookie Derrick Rose. Rose then gained control of the ball and was fouled by Brian Scalabrine in the front court. Rose proceeded to clank two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining but the Celtics were without a timeout and Rondo heaved a half-courter that was way off: on to Game 7.

If you have been wondering why the Bulls, Bobcats and Nuggets have been wearing green uniforms during the past few days like I have, here is your answer. It's all part of the NBA's Green Week 2009, which includes a number of activities, with the most noticeable (by the viewer) being the green uniforms.

The NBA is taking steps to become a more environmentally-friendly organization and will continue to explore ways of improving in this area. NBA Green Week 2009 serves as a reminder for fans that each of us can help to reduce our envirnomental footprint and that every bit helps. The NBA has partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for the first-ever NBA Green Week 2009, tipping off on April 2-10, in an effort to generate awareness and funds for protecting the environment.

These uniforms and socks made from 45 percent organic cotton during select home games throughout the week.

Do you think that campaigns like these will truly help make people more environmentally aware and friendly in their daily actions and purchase trends?

J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets


Ben Gordon of Chicago Bulls


Emeka Okafor of Charlotte Bobcats

In another clever marketing scheme aimed at making money—I mean, to represent the NBA's Noche Latina program — teams will wear special jerseys on Wednesday that replace the usual English words that appear on the front with the Spanish version.



Announced back in February, Noche Latina frenzy is set to take place in eight of the top 10 American Hispanic markets this season (up from four in 2007-08): Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Houston and New York.

But here's a fun twist: Rather than translating the team names literally ("Los Sols," "Los Espuelas"), market research has apparently concluded that Spanish-speakers in the U.S. refer to them a little differently. The New York Knicks, for example, is called "Nueva York", the Houston Rockets are "Los Rockets."

Here's a quick look at the other Latina-flavored threads:


March 3 Lakers (Los Lakers)
March 4 Mavericks (Los Mavs); Knicks (Nueva York)
March 9 & 14, Heat (El Heat)

March 14, Suns (Los Suns)
March 20, Spurs (Los Spurs)
March 25, Mavericks (Los Mavs)
March 26, Bulls (Los Bulls)
March 28, Rockets (Los Rockets)

The Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled their new logo and new uniform designs for the team. The Jaguars will start next season with a much simpler, basic look on the field.



The team will wear teal top and white pants at home; and white top with black pants during away games. As for the logo, it will just be the jaguar head. The new uniforms are designed to keep the players cooler, and to make it more difficult for people to grab and hold them. This is also going to be the first time ever that an NFL team has used an unusual color-shifting design on the helmet. The paint scheme have teal-flaked paint, making them change color in bright light. It’s similar to the material used to make automobiles sparkle.

After a dismal winless season, the Detroit Lions are undergoing an overhaul. The new logo is complete with fangs and a flowing name.

OLD:

NEW:


The new logo attempts to make the team's lion logo more ferocious. Helmets now feature the new logo on each side. It’s the most significant change since 1961, when the logo originally was placed on helmets.

The team’s Honolulu blue, white and black colors remain unchanged.