BEST for basketball

At the recent press conference for the national finals of the 32nd SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament, this bleacher bum just realized a historical fact that may go unrecognized. When the BEST Center started operations in 1978, it paved the way for the growth of youth basketball in the country. Come to think of it, everything that developed today was a result of the drive to teach basketball the right way and the need to practice this by playing in actual games in a league or tournament setting. Funny, but the simple formula of conducting basketball clinics (correctly) and holding games clicked and paved the way for everything else that followed. Today, we now see hordes of other basketball programs anchored on providing games for the youth and

conducting clinics in the basics and fundamentals of the sport.

And this all started in 1978 when one-time national team coach Nic Jorge had the chance to travel abroad for basketball. He realized then that we were teaching basketball in the wrong way and there was a need to correct this asap if we were to develop the youth. And so starting on his own with his family as support crew, Nic Jorge conducted the first series of basketball clinics that taught the basics of the sport. No more, no less. Simple it may sound, but this wasn’t being done then. Pinoy basketball was all about copying the fancy moves and high-flying ways of American basketball. (What else is new?) It was unusual and “wrong” to teach the right way of handling the ball, how to dribble, how to shoot with the proper form, how to run with the ball, move without the ball and play defense. But the Jorge family persevered, found that vacuum in the market and became the pioneers in conducting clinics in a scientific way to young basketball prospects or regular young kids who wanted to play hoops. What started out as a backyard clinic is now one of the biggest (if not the biggest) basketball clinics in the country. The BEST Center clinic in partnership with Milo is synonymous with the Philippine summer with a reach that is unmatched. The most impressive part of the clinic is how the coaches conduct these as teachers and not as “coaches.” They are teachers of the game and not coaches of a team. Yes, there is a world of difference between the two. This is similar to the Europe model where you have coaches who specialize in teaching the basics of the sport but do not coach ballclubs. This alone makes the clinic unique and has withstood the trials of time for the past 39 years.

But what good are clinics if there are no games to be played? Games and tournaments were the natural followthrough activity, pitting students of the clinic against each other in tournaments. There was no better way to test their skills than an actual game. These tournaments eventually grew to a wider reach all the way until a national level, and the focus was still on the youth. The SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament, also in partnership with Milo, is now on its 32nd season with the national finals being played yesterday and today at the Cebu Coliseum. Gathering are the top Under 12 and Under 15 school-based basketball teams in the country. The four major areas are Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Metro Manila. Each area has its own provincial tournaments with the champions from these facing for the regional championship. The tournament is now considered as the premier tournament for these age groups with young players aspiring to play in an SBP Passerelle tournament. It has gotten so popular that it grew with the name “Milo BEST.” The name has stuck and is a top-of-mind choice of many when it comes to both the tournament and clinics.

How effective and successful is this program? Most of today’s top players underwent the BEST Center’s program before hitting the big leagues. In today’s Game 3 of the UAAP Finals, a rematch of sorts is taking place between Thirdy Ravena, Aaron Black, the Nieto brothers and Kib Montalbo. In 2008, they also played against each other for the national championship of the SBP division of the SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament. The Blue Eagles were “SBP Eaglets” then while Montalbo played for Bacolod Tay Tung. Most of the players of both Ateneo and La Salle had played in an SBP Passerelle tournament and/or enrolled in a BEST Center clinic in the past. At the Friday presscon, I met Luigi Pumaren, who played on the national Passerelle champion team of La Salle Greenhills of 2008. They defeated a Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu team that included current Blue Eagle Kris Porter for the championship in Iloilo in the same weekend that Kib Montalbo went up against Thirdy and company. Coincidence? No way. It was destined to happen and this is a phenomenon that will be repeated all the time.

Turning 40 years old next year, the BEST Center started it all but isn’t claiming to be the sole source of a player’s development. But it takes pride in having been part of a player’s career. In fact, there are even more BEST products who didn’t reach the big leagues of basketball but who turn out to be well-respected citizens. Today, there are hundreds of youth-based leagues that also run tournaments and clinics all over the country, and I’m certain that the establishment of the BEST Center in 1978 had a big role in the rise of all these. These have made the sport reach greater heights and have infected Pinoys with the basketball virus. But it’s a good virus all started by the BEST Center. Truly, BEST for basketball.