Anything can happen in FIBA qualifier
Despite France’s glowing credentials and the looming threat of Turkey and Canada, Tropang TNT import David Simon said recently he’s not discounting the possibility of the Philippines winning the FIBA Olympic qualifier here in July.
Simon, 33, played in France, Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kazakhstan and South Korea before joining TNT this conference so he’s familiar with the international game. A teammate in Serbia was San Antonio Spurs’ 7-3 reserve center Boban Marjanovic and Tony Parker’s brother TJ is a close friend whom he hangs out with.
“I know some of the Gilas players since some of them are my TNT teammates,” said Simon. “I’ve seen coach Tab (Baldwin) talk to the guys and I’ve watched (Andray) Blatche play in the NBA. Basketball is like any game. For me, any team has a chance to win. The chances are harder depending on different levels. I see no reason why Gilas can’t match up against players from other countries. Basketball is basketball. Honestly, I’m shocked at the quality of play in the PBA. I’ve played in several countries and I’m convinced the Philippines is a hotbed of high-level basketball athletes. It’s not a Grand Canyon that separates the level of players in the NBA and PBA. Of course, PBA players are smaller but it’s not a huge gap between the NBA and PBA players. Put in the right situation, Gilas can surprise a lot of teams in the FIBA qualifier.”
Simon, who once held Golden State’s Andrew Bogut to eight points in an NBA summer league game, said it’s hard to single out PBA players who can make it in the NBA. “You’ve got to know what an NBA team is looking for,” he said. “I’ve played in NBA summer leagues and gone to camps with Minnesota, Chicago, New Jersey, Miami and Memphis. There are so many great athletes in the PBA. The only other Asian country I’ve played in is Korea and I think the Philippines has a lot more basketball talent. On my team, we’ve got guys like Jayson (Castro), Mo (Tautuaa) and Troy (Rosario) who played volleyball like me. Then, there’s that guy (Japeth) Aguilar of Ginebra who’s like a freak of nature with his length and athleticism. There’s another big from Star who’s a standout (possibly referring to Marc Pingris). Any of those guys can get a shot in any league in the world.”
Simon said he got a call to play for TNT after finishing up the season in Korea. “My team didn’t make it to the playoffs in Korea,” he said. “It was a long season in Korea and I was getting ready to go home to Chicago. My wife and three kids are waiting for me. My three boys are five, two and a baby born last January. Then, the call came in. I’d heard a lot about the PBA from Kelly Williams whom I played against in college. Kelly and I went to the same trainer in Indiana once. In Korea, the imports who’d played in the PBA didn’t stop talking about how wonderful it is in Manila. One guy talking about the PBA all the time was Marqus Blakely. In fact, Marqus came over to Manila for a visit when I just got in. I couldn’t miss the opportunity of playing in the PBA. I figured why not play a few more months before going home. I’d love to come back for another conference.”
Simon said the PBA has its own unique brand of play and he likes it. “In Serbia where I was the MVP and Player of the Year, it’s a lot more physical because the guys are bigger and stronger,” he said. “When I played in Serbia, it was the NBA lockout year so a lot of NBA and former NBA players were in town. Serbian coaches also have a reputation of demanding hard practice. In Korea, they played NBA rules in my first season in 2010. In the PBA, it’s more open court and freestyle. I’m told a lot of rule changes were made this season, making the play less physical like taking away the arm bar against a post-up player. In Europe, they play a lot of the halfcourt game and it isn’t as wide open. Whatever way the game is played, it’s still basketball.”
Simon said his volleyball experience was a big help to his basketball career. “I played volleyball and basketball in high school,” said Simon whose wingspan is 87 1/2 inches (compared to Manny Pacquiao’s 67) and standing reach is 109 inches. “I got a volleyball scholarship at Loyola Chicago and since I wasn’t sure about a career in volleyball, I thought of taking up chemistry preparatory to med school. I’m not hot in biology so I went with chemistry. But after a season, I decided to go to basketball. I’m not passionate about volleyball although I’m good at it. But with basketball, that’s my first love. I started playing when I was two years old. I thought of transferring to Purdue where I was interviewed by coach Gene Keady. My father played football at Purdue and my mom also went to Purdue. But I ended up moving to IPFW (Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, a cooperatively-managed campus of two university systems) where I hoped to get more playing time as a walk-on.”
Simon played three years at IPFW and gained a reputation as the US’ second best center behind Emeka Okafur. “My volleyball background was a huge help,” he said. “My timing was right on in jumping for rebounds or blocking shots. Troy (Rosario) also has a volleyball background and you can see how good he is.”
Simon earned his chemistry diploma at Purdue and has a Master’s degree in business administration from a University of Phoenix on-line program. Shaquille O’Neal finished the same Master’s on-line course from the same school.