Now what, Gilas?

There’s a clip showing Chot Reyes telling Gilas to “hit somebody, put some ass on the floor” during a timeout but I don’t think it was a call for violence. He has used that line numerous times before, and it usually means that his team needs to play harder or more physical.

And two, just because you criticize the team or was embarrassed by the action, it doesn’t make you a non-fan. Why we have become a country of “either-ors” is beyond me.

So much has been said and will be said about the incident and I’ll leave it at that. What I hope is that SBP and Gilas will take concrete actions to repair our tattered basketball image. Fiba will mete out sanctions and I expect them to be harsh. But before Fiba issues theirs, I hope SBP will issue sanctions on the players and personalities involved.

Coach Jong Uichico already issued an apology but that photo of him about to punch an Australian who was already caught in a headlock? Then there’s the guy (reportedly Japeth Aguilar’s dad) who threw a chair at another player and still that of another guy (a PBA player reportedly) sucker-punching an Australian who was being restrained. Before Basketball Australia resorts to a criminal complaint, I hope SBP issues its own sanctions. Perhaps it can mitigate things.

One said that Uichico should step down and I think that’s a valid point, that he should offer his resignation. It’s up to the team or the SBP to accept it.

I think Gilas should issue an apology, too. No ifs or buts about it. It doesn’t matter who started it or what instigated it. We hosted Australia and something bad happened. Besides, we will be one of the hosts of the 2023 Fiba World Cup; an apology could help repair our image. Basketball Australia issued an apology hours after the incident while we had tweets from Terrence Romeo, basically telling everyone to shove it up...

The game was supposed to highlight our capability to host a Fiba game in one of the biggest indoor arenas of the world and to highlight the passion of the Filipinos for the sport. Instead, it has become a nightmare.

Before Gilas’ next game in the Fiba cycle, I hope SBP can organize a fun friendly, against Australia but with mixed teams? Gilas Pilipinas was the lone unifying factor in this fractured nation but Monday night’s action has divided the nation.

Gilas Pilipinas was the lone unifying factor in this fractured nation but last night’s action has divided the nation.