Hoops Paradise: The Philippines’ Love of the Game

In 1978, the Golden State Warriors drafted 6'3" guard Raymond Townsend, the first Filipino-American in the NBA. Since then, the Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson and the Houston Rockets' Jalen Green have carried the torch, representing the NBA dream to Filipinos around the world. In this episode, ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth and Titan's Nikko Ramos talk with Raymond Townsend and the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra, the first Asian-American NBA Head Coach, about their pioneering careers and the power of representation as they pave the way for Filipinos in the NBA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are a couple major differences between the NBA and the world’s second oldest pro basketball league, the Philippine Basketball Association (otherwise known as the PBA). For one, the PBA season never really stops. Three back-to-back conferences stretch throughout the year, with the major difference being roster restrictions. Depending on the conference, teams are limited by how many “imports” they can have, and their heights. Imports are held to an all-star standard, expected to put up incredible numbers and play 48 minutes per game. In return, imports - often former or aspiring NBA players looking for a second chance at a career - are treated with the same reverence as NBA legends. In this episode, Cassidy and Nikko explore the life of a PBA import, and the legend of the PBA’s “Black Superman,” Billy Ray Bates – a former Portland Trailblazer who still holds the franchise record career NBA playoff average of 26.7 points per game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if I told you the 'skyhook' actually originated in the Philippines? Okay, that one might not be true... but what if?  Only ten years after James Naismith hung two peach baskets and refereed the first game of basketball, there were already reports of American soldiers introducing the sport to Filipino locals in Manila. It caught on quickly, first with college students, and then becoming as central to Philippine culture as adobo. In this episode, Cassidy and Nikko talk to the foremost experts in the colonial history of basketball in the Philippines about the Philippines’ early success in international competitions, and how Pinoy players on the other side of the world from the NBA developed a unique style of basketball like you’ve never seen before. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.