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Hand Me The Keys, Philippines! I Have Potential!
Wed, Jul 9, 2008 by JeffO
As a child you might recall getting into a fight with your schoolmate over who gets to play with the sandbox, the kindergarden equivalent of a Sony PSP. When it becomes apparent that no one is willing to step aside, a violent struggle ensues and the school teacher ultimately mediates, dragging you off the premises by the ears. While you're both standing there in the principal's office contemplating whether you'll comply with the forced apology being asked of you, you catch a glimpse of the other kids from the window, jubilant that they now have complete control of the sandbox all to themselves.
Well, reader, it may come as a shock to you but I just told you the history of the BAP-POC crisis in a nutshell. The only difference is that these are of course grown men and wear khaki pants instead of diapers. After more than two years of conspicuous crabbing, the issue has been eventually resolved and the mediator (in this case, FIBA) allowed them to play again. The newly-christened BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas wasted no time fielding a star-studded line-up comprised mostly of players who can't speak Tagalog, in the FIBA Asia Championships where they finished 9th.
As you can see, it's quite a challenge to remain optimistic of the team's Olympic chances... until today that is, as The 15th Parallel has secured a meeting with what many Wordpress owners refer to as quite possibly the greatest basketball specimen to ever set foot on the nation's soil -- the 6'11", 215-pound sensation known as Gregory Slaughter. Many a journalist have proclaimed this young man as the future of Philippine basketball due to his unparalleled size and ability, and I'm hard-pressed to disagree. I cannot wait to meet this person; I am very excited!
The Chinese ceramics beside me gave a massive jolt and I can feel the couch I'm sitting at spur forward slowly by vibrations. The painting on the wall unhinges itself and its glass frame smashes into pieces. The power of this entity is unbelievable. Can he move mountains and solve world hunger? There's no doubt in my mind that he can. The phone rings and I pick it up as the receptionist inquires about my safety, informing me that there was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake nearby. I asked her if it was caused by the might of the great Greg Slaughter, and the phone hangs abruptly; perhaps he has gotten to the receptionist herself? Such outstanding might.
It looks like Slaughter has finally arrived as he knocked on the door, announced his entry before entering with remarkable gallantry quite unlike of his peers, with their big gold chains, baggy pants and Three 6 Mafia CDs. Man, this guy is huge! And he's also very white! Truly amazing.
We quickly made our way to the gym for some short, exhibition drills showcasing his unequivocal talent. Being the excitable journalist that I am, I picked up a ball from the station and instinctively threw a soft chest pass to Slaughter who fumbles it. As he's about to pick it up, he trips all over himself and bumps his head on the floor. My fault, I should have rolled the ball and had a janitor check if the floor was wet first. I sure hope it doesn't affect his game later. I feel bad.
First order of business are post moves; the mark of a true center. Showing his advanced skill set, Slaughter set up shop at the free throw line extended, a considerable distance from where post players normally position themselves. This young man loves defying the odds, for sure! He catches the lob, squares his shoulders and takes a jumper that swishes through the net. But that's not a post move, Greg! ''Yes it is!'' he intones. And he's right; it's a high-post play. Silly me for trying to discombobulate the cunning basketball IQ of this young man.
Next phase is at the block where he again catches the entry pass with ease, spins baseline and drops the shot nicely. The whole training staff applauds. ''It's been two years and we've finally perfected it!'' says an exasperated Gary Nicanor, the drill instructor. ''Now we could try the next step which is a standard-sized 10-foot rim and an actual defender.'' This guy is something!
The roadies immediately adjust the rim as Slaughter begins to perspire, pacing back and forth. He can't wait! And so can I!
Slaughter positions himself underneath while his assistant trainer, Rico Bernabe (standing a whopping 5'9") defends him. Excellent seal! Here comes the entry pass, oh he fumbles it. He gets the ball on the second try but dribbles the ball off his foot. On the next try he travels. On the fourth he finally sinks in a two-hander after his defender flops to the floor. Unbelievable strength!
Up next are defensive drills but not before a 2-hour break to help Slaughter catch his breath. I don't disagree, for that was indeed a very grueling 4 minutes.
In this drill, Rico will be playing as the scorer while Slaughter defends him. This will be quite a test for the big man as it will measure his lateral footspeed and coordination but it appears the staff has other things in mind as Rico requested that I personally do the entry pass while he seals Slaughter. Silly me, expecting Greg to defend a perimeter scorer just because he happens to be short! When will I ever learn? Rico puts the moves on Slaughter downlow who's clearly unfazed and as Rico tries to nail a sweeping hook, Greg sends it flying to the elbow area. The hardest shot to block, erased at ease by this wonderful talent. Amazing!
The Philippines is ready for the world in 2012. The question is: are you?
Wed, Jul 9, 2008 by JeffO
As a child you might recall getting into a fight with your schoolmate over who gets to play with the sandbox, the kindergarden equivalent of a Sony PSP. When it becomes apparent that no one is willing to step aside, a violent struggle ensues and the school teacher ultimately mediates, dragging you off the premises by the ears. While you're both standing there in the principal's office contemplating whether you'll comply with the forced apology being asked of you, you catch a glimpse of the other kids from the window, jubilant that they now have complete control of the sandbox all to themselves.Well, reader, it may come as a shock to you but I just told you the history of the BAP-POC crisis in a nutshell. The only difference is that these are of course grown men and wear khaki pants instead of diapers. After more than two years of conspicuous crabbing, the issue has been eventually resolved and the mediator (in this case, FIBA) allowed them to play again. The newly-christened BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas wasted no time fielding a star-studded line-up comprised mostly of players who can't speak Tagalog, in the FIBA Asia Championships where they finished 9th.
As you can see, it's quite a challenge to remain optimistic of the team's Olympic chances... until today that is, as The 15th Parallel has secured a meeting with what many Wordpress owners refer to as quite possibly the greatest basketball specimen to ever set foot on the nation's soil -- the 6'11", 215-pound sensation known as Gregory Slaughter. Many a journalist have proclaimed this young man as the future of Philippine basketball due to his unparalleled size and ability, and I'm hard-pressed to disagree. I cannot wait to meet this person; I am very excited!
The Chinese ceramics beside me gave a massive jolt and I can feel the couch I'm sitting at spur forward slowly by vibrations. The painting on the wall unhinges itself and its glass frame smashes into pieces. The power of this entity is unbelievable. Can he move mountains and solve world hunger? There's no doubt in my mind that he can. The phone rings and I pick it up as the receptionist inquires about my safety, informing me that there was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake nearby. I asked her if it was caused by the might of the great Greg Slaughter, and the phone hangs abruptly; perhaps he has gotten to the receptionist herself? Such outstanding might.
It looks like Slaughter has finally arrived as he knocked on the door, announced his entry before entering with remarkable gallantry quite unlike of his peers, with their big gold chains, baggy pants and Three 6 Mafia CDs. Man, this guy is huge! And he's also very white! Truly amazing.We quickly made our way to the gym for some short, exhibition drills showcasing his unequivocal talent. Being the excitable journalist that I am, I picked up a ball from the station and instinctively threw a soft chest pass to Slaughter who fumbles it. As he's about to pick it up, he trips all over himself and bumps his head on the floor. My fault, I should have rolled the ball and had a janitor check if the floor was wet first. I sure hope it doesn't affect his game later. I feel bad.
First order of business are post moves; the mark of a true center. Showing his advanced skill set, Slaughter set up shop at the free throw line extended, a considerable distance from where post players normally position themselves. This young man loves defying the odds, for sure! He catches the lob, squares his shoulders and takes a jumper that swishes through the net. But that's not a post move, Greg! ''Yes it is!'' he intones. And he's right; it's a high-post play. Silly me for trying to discombobulate the cunning basketball IQ of this young man.
Next phase is at the block where he again catches the entry pass with ease, spins baseline and drops the shot nicely. The whole training staff applauds. ''It's been two years and we've finally perfected it!'' says an exasperated Gary Nicanor, the drill instructor. ''Now we could try the next step which is a standard-sized 10-foot rim and an actual defender.'' This guy is something!
The roadies immediately adjust the rim as Slaughter begins to perspire, pacing back and forth. He can't wait! And so can I!
Slaughter positions himself underneath while his assistant trainer, Rico Bernabe (standing a whopping 5'9") defends him. Excellent seal! Here comes the entry pass, oh he fumbles it. He gets the ball on the second try but dribbles the ball off his foot. On the next try he travels. On the fourth he finally sinks in a two-hander after his defender flops to the floor. Unbelievable strength!Up next are defensive drills but not before a 2-hour break to help Slaughter catch his breath. I don't disagree, for that was indeed a very grueling 4 minutes.
In this drill, Rico will be playing as the scorer while Slaughter defends him. This will be quite a test for the big man as it will measure his lateral footspeed and coordination but it appears the staff has other things in mind as Rico requested that I personally do the entry pass while he seals Slaughter. Silly me, expecting Greg to defend a perimeter scorer just because he happens to be short! When will I ever learn? Rico puts the moves on Slaughter downlow who's clearly unfazed and as Rico tries to nail a sweeping hook, Greg sends it flying to the elbow area. The hardest shot to block, erased at ease by this wonderful talent. Amazing!
The Philippines is ready for the world in 2012. The question is: are you?
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