25forlife
Basketball Club
Basketball Club
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March 8, 2010
The first week of March is complete and it definitely feels like Spring is in the air. Temperatures are rising, the days are getting
longer and the city leagues are reaching a fever pitch.
We had our last regular season Fil-Act game on Sunday – a 345pm tilt against the UNC squad. The coveted top seed in the
playoffs was at stake, as the Uncoachables only had a single blemish on their record all season. A loss to them meant that we
would end up as the #2 seed, a spot we’ve never occupied for 11 straight seasons. But this game was going to be pretty tough,
as we didn’t have the luxury of having guys like James Forrester, AJ Serjue, JP Albano and JR Manlucu to handle the scoring
load. Instead, 25-for-Life fielded a skeleton crew of sorts – as we had Ryan Dawinan, Geoff Malana, Kim Tigley, Jeremiah Sta.
Maria, CJizzle Reyes (injured) and myself. The odds appeared to be stacked against us, as the UNC team was at full strength
and ready to pounce on a 254L squad that looked to be ripe for the taking.
Due to the unique make-up of our team, we started the game in a 3-2 zone to force UNC into shooting long jumpers from the
corner (as opposed to the wing that are usually higher-percentage attempts). However, their guard heavy line-up is accustomed
to ball movement and they were quick to counter our defense with some sharp shooting from anywhere on the court. We quickly
went back to a man-to-man scheme, which gave them less open looks and allowed us to contest a lot of their jumpers. On the
offensive end, we used our size advantage to get us good looks at the basket. Unfortunately, we couldn’t convert on all of our
attempts, but it gave us enough to go into halftime tied at 34-34.
The second half went much better for us, as we dialed up the defensive pressure and caused a few turnovers with some active
hands in the paint. Offensively, Jeremiah Sta. Maria took the game over with his pin-point accuracy from beyond the arc. Shots
that weren’t dropping for him in the first half were nothing but net in the second half, as he dropped 5 straight long-range bombs
and mixed in a few mid-range jumpers to boot. He finished the game with 30 points – including 7 three-pointers. Looks like he’s
peaking at just the right time, just like any savvy veteran knows he should. We ended up winning the game and securing #1 seed
for the playoffs. Our first round opponent will be the run-and-gun FLIPSIDE team, who disposed of the Durham team in an OT
thriller yesterday.
In Raptors news, they lost to the Sixers in yesterday’s matinee game and continues its downward spiral out of playoff contention.
Here’s what the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture looks like right now:
1. Cleveland
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Atlanta
5. Milwaukee
6. Toronto
7. Miami
8. Chicago
9. Charlotte
With Hedo out yesterday, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a complete lineup from the Raps. I’m afraid that these guys aren’t
showing any sense of urgency and will let the playoffs slip out of their hands in a couple of weeks. Milwaukee is playing out of
their minds and Charlotte is becoming a tough match-up for anybody – given their wing duo of Gerald Wallace and Stephen
Jackson. I hate the Raptors so much right now…
March 1, 2010
Can you believe that it’s March already? Where has the time gone? I know that much of February was caught up in Olympic fever,
as the Vancouver games closed with a bang – with Team Canada winning the beloved gold medal in Hockey. The Canadian
medal count was pretty embarrassing after the first week of competition, but rallied back in Week 2 and produced the highest
Gold medal count of any nation in the history of the Winter Games. That’s pretty good, but Canada was still behind both the USA
and Germany in the final medal standings. I don’t mean to rain on the Canadian parade, but let’s put it this way, does anyone
really care about the Winter Olympics? I can tell you this – I have absolutely no recollection of what happened in Torino 4 years
ago.
Other than the pre-requisite Olympic celebrations, things were pretty quiet over the weekend. Contrary to what we originally
thought, we only had one game scheduled on Sunday – a PhilCan game against PHYACTION. Admittedly, our team isn’t as
strong as it can be right now – as we’re still in the midst of integrating our youngsters Elliot and Cedric. However, it was behind
the sharpshooting of the two youngest players on the team – along with Jeremiah Sta. Maria – that helped us secure a two-point
win. The trio combined for 10 three pointers altogether, while our usual mainstay for scoring (AJ Serjue) was saddled on the
bench with foul trouble.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Watch out for the flop calls these days. We’ve never seen the call made by any official before, but we were hit
with FOUR calls during Sunday’s game. The fourth warranted a technical foul as well, almost handing the game over to
PHYACTION. Definitely something to note for our games moving forward.
On to Raptor news, where the Dinos have dropped three straight games to Portland, Cleveland and just recently Oklahoma City
last night. Bosh has missed 5 games in a row now and appears to be content as the team loses any cushion they’ve built up
over teams like Chicago, Miami and Milwaukee. CB4 is leaving his team out to dry as he tends to a slight ankle sprain – and what
seemed to be a race to catch the Celtics is now turning into a desperate cling to a playoff spot. All I know is that the Raptors need
to do whatever they can to get away from the 5th seed if the Atlanta Hawks continue to occupy #4, as if they match-up with Joe
Johnson & Co. in the First Round of the Playoffs – they will be swept in four horrific lopsided games.
February 22, 2010
We were scheduled with a double-header on last Sunday, with us taking on The One in Fil-Act and the Kagers in Phil-Can…
Our game against The One wasn’t really close. JR Manlucu and I showed up late for the game (as usual), but we had pretty
much a full squad, so there wasn’t really a problem. We were finally able to sport our new jerseys which is always exciting – as
we went with a new colour theme that I think was executed quite well. Fueled by the energy of AJ Serjue and James Forrester, we
took the lead early and didn’t look back. Jeremiah Sta. Maria had the hot hand in the first half, connecting from all spots on the
court. The One’s Martin ‘The Legend’ Lim was an offensive spark for the opposition, slicing to the hoop and unleashing his
signature finger roll a few times. In the end, it was an easy double digit win for 25-for-Life and we had our sights set on the late
game just up the 404.
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know that 25-for-Life and the Kagers have endured several battles over the last couple years.
Yesterday’s match-up was another chapter in the growing rivalry, as the Kagers made a special request to play us before one of
their key players – Eric Liao – left for a month-long trip to China this week. It was another closely-fought game, as the Kagers
used their zone defense and disciplined offense to build up a lead in the first half. Unfortunately, our shooting wasn’t up to par –
as we were misfiring on our perimeter shots and didn’t manufacture much offense inside. By the end of the first 20 minutes, we
found ourselves down 9 points and unable to beat their zone.
The second half was a different story, as we pushed the tempo, caused some turnovers, and cut the Kagers lead down to 2
points within the first couple minutes of the half. It was pretty much nip-and-tuck from then on, as the new pace favoured our team
and kept the Kagers on their toes. We thought we had iced the game thanks to some free-throws from Ryan Dawinan and AJ
Serjue (though he did miss one key free throw), but Don Lee-Pow came back to hit a desperation three-pointer to tie the game at
the buzzer.
We won the tip to start overtime and held the ball to force the Kagers to go into a Man-to-Man defense. They declined…resulting
in almost 3 full minutes of passing the ball around and running down the clock. We called time-out to setup a play to get JP
Albano a shot on the baseline. We ran it to perfection, as JP threw a pump fake and stepped to the side and drained a jumper
with just a couple ticks left on the clock. The Kagers called a timeout, but were unable to get up a good shot after inbounding from
under their basket.
So it seems like the basketball season is well underway, Fil-Act is gearing up for the playoff run, PhilCan is in full swing and we’
re getting ready for our first tournament of the year at the end of March – the GMAA Tournament in Chicago. This is the same
tournament we played in last year, that features Asian, Indo-Pak and Muslim players. It’s a very tough tournament and very well
organized. Should be fun.
February 16, 2010
So we’re coming off NBA All-Star Weekend, Valentine’s Day and Family Day – what a busy weekend! There’s so much to tackle,
but I’ll give it my best start…
MY NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND THOUGHTS…
1) Rookie / Sophomore Challenge – We all know how this game goes – up and down, dunks, missed alley-oops and not
much defense at all. I always thought that this year’s Rookie Class was tremendously weak, but I forgot how bad last year’s was
too haha. Either way, Russell Westbrook was out to get his – while the commentators were hating on Tyreke Evans for being a
ball-dominant guard. Weird…I never really noticed it before as his stats are 20ppg / 5 rebs / 5 assists. Not bad at all. The real
story (other than the Rooks beating the Sophs) was DuJuan Blair and his 20/20 game. The fact that he has absolutely NO ACLs
in his knees both amazes and frightens me!
2) Slam Dunk-In – Is it just me or were you scared that Demar DeRozan wasn’t going to make it past Eric Gordon? DD was
way too nonchalant in his ways, as if Gordon put down his two dunks cleanly without any misses – a large amount of voters
would’ve picked the Clipper guard to move on.
3) Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown (Amateur Dunk-Off) – This was probably the best part of the weekend. Air Up There (aka Mr.
720), Los, Flyte and Young Hollywood were marketed as the best amateur dunkers in the country. Other than AUT, none of these
other guys should’ve been in – I’ll give Los his dues, but I’m sure a quick YouTube search would find you 3 other deserving guys.
Ajax’s own Justin Darlington should’ve been in there, along with my picks Tony Dandridge (New Mexico), T-Dubb (MA), Guy
Dupuy (France) and Cal State Fullerton’s Gerard Anderson. AUT won the contest going away and gave guys like LeBron and
Drake a taste of what the world of freestyle dunking is all about. Guys like AUT are the reason they’ll never allow amateurs into
the NBA contest, as no professional player wants to lose to an amateur. Period.
4) Shooting Stars – Team Texas kicked some butt reeling off a finish time of 34.XXsec. Pretty sick! It gave Kenny Smith a lot to
trash talk about to C-Webb, Steve Smith and Brent Barry.
5) Skills Challenge – Steve Nash reigns supreme one more time, showing guys like Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook and
Brandon Jennings that he’s still got the stuff.
6) 3PT Shootout – Paul Pierce goes from worst to first. I would’ve never guessed it. But ask P-Squared himself and he’ll tell
you if he wasn’t busy scoring buckets in a variety of ways for his entire career, he could’ve easily sat on the three-point line and be
considered one of the best shooters of all time (sounds like a cheap shot to Ray Allen if you ask me).
7) Slam Dunk Contest – There really shouldn’t have been a ‘winner’ in this contest. The two guys who legitimately could’ve
brought the crowd to their feet proved that they lacked the showmanship to be a real Slam Dunk Champion. Shannon Brown
came with a lot of hype, but obviously lacked creativity to do anything that didn’t draw a yawn from the crowd. Demar Derozan
easily had the best dunks of the night, but lacked the hype-ness and charisma to get the crowd invested in him. So Nate
Robinson – who was coming off a charity win last year (you know if Dwight Howard didn’t involve himself in his last, he wouldn’t
have won) – wins by default. His last dunk was great, but I’m sure both DD and Sonny Weems have dunks in their repertoire that
would easily top it. So next year, I advise the following to revive the contest - $1,000,000 PRIZE MONEY to get the big names out.
Then bring in Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Nate Robinson, Demar Derozan, Terrence Williams and Sonny Weems to put on a
show. We all know that Lebron pulled out once Shannon Brown was making a push for this year’s contest (it’s obvious he didn’t
want to lose to a D-Leaguer – it would hurt his image too much), so let’s hope the money and fellow ‘big’ names get him to come
out.
8) All-Star Game – It’s hard to imagine that 108,000+ people crammed into Dallas Stadium to watch a glorified pick-up run.
Granted, the game was uncharacteristically close, but I can’t imagine the game could’ve been enjoyable for at least 60,000 of
those people. At least we got to see another off-the-backboard-to-himself-dunk (this time from Dwayne Wade) and a few monster
slams by Lebron and Dwight. Even the Raptors own Chris Bosh (aka one of the Na’vi from Avatar as he’s come to be known)
chipped in with a solid performance. Is there another PF in the League better than him right now? Despite what the Spurs faithful
say about Tim Duncan, Bosh is on the cusp on the league elite status. Of course, Raps fans know that both TD and Kevin Garnett
still have CB4’s number right now defensively – but Bosh is doing it on both ends consistently for the first time in his career.
Also, I had a chance to check out the Robin Thicke concert last Sunday for Valentine’s Day. It was held at the Sound Academy
(formerly the Docks) and despite the lengthy wait and so-so opening acts of Emerson Brooks, Dru and Kim Davis – Allan Thicke’
s (aka Dr. Jason Seaver from Growing Pains) son absolutely killed it! By far the Coolest White Guy in the World. Period.
Other than that, there’s a couple games this weekend in Fil-Act and Philcan. I’ll be back with a report next week.
February 9, 2010
Your Boy is Back. I know it’s been another LONG while since I’ve updated my blog, but things have been really hectic with life and
pretty quiet on the basketball front. There wasn’t much to write about…so I put the blog stuff on hiatus. But it’s been over a month
and I figure that it’s about time I get back into the game.
First off, both Fil-Act and Philcan leagues are going on and we’re doing well in both. The Fil-Act regular season is almost done,
but we still have a showdown with the Uncoachables on the horizon. I think they’re the last upper-echelon team we have yet to
play, as we’ve taken care of the Barons, Saints and Falcons already. Our Fil-Act squad is looking tough this year, as we’re able to
use our big bodies like Kim Tigley, James Forrester, JR Manlucu and Giuseppe Pompei to rebound and score easy baskets
underneath. Not to mention the inspired play of JP Albano these days, as it seems he’s turned back the clock and playing like its
Y2K all over again. The real surprise has been the play of AJ Serjue, who’s maturation and ability to fine tune his talent has
turned him into the most feared scorer in the league. I’m sure the discipline from playing with the Seneca Sting this season
(albeit for a short time) has helped a lot, as not only does AJ put up points in a hurry – but he’s improved on the defensive end of
the ball as well.
In Philcan, the league welcomed back teams like the Dragons (they’ve entered both A and B squads this year) and Kagers. It’s a
pretty deep league this year, as we still have good teams like the Falcons, Barons, Uncoachables and FCCM. As JP has
mentioned in one of his earlier blogs, both Ryan Dawinan and Jeremiah Sta. Maria have returned to the team – but surprisingly,
we’ve lost Jerome Sta. Maria who opted to run with his hometown Rexdale team this season. We’ve also picked up some young
blood to add to the lineup, as 16-year-old Cedric and 19-year-old Elliott infuse some much-needed energy when they’re on the
floor. It’s definitely going to be an interesting season.
In other news, I’m proud to announce that my brother has been picked up by a team called Fern C (I think it’s a vitamin company)
and will be participating in his first PBL season. For those who aren’t familiar with the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), it is
the Philippines’ oldest semi-professional league and is considered a stepping stone towards the PBA. The league starts in just
over a week (February 16) and features eight teams. Jon’s team features the legendary Bal David at the helm as Head Coach
and NCAA MVP John Michael Wilson (from JRU) and fellow SSC-R Golden Stag Raymond Maconocido on the roster.
On to the NBA, where the Toronto Raptors are among the hottest teams in the League right now. I believe they have the second-
best record in the Association since Christmas and they look to be improving with every game. Chris Bosh is playing out of his
mind, while Jarrett Jack has earned the starting PG job and the Antoine Wright acquisition seems to be paying off dividends.
Though the Raptors are the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference, their defense still needs a lot of work. Their last
loss against the lowly Pacers was absolutely atrocious, giving up 130pts to a low-level team.
The All-Star weekend is coming up and that means a lot of hoopla from Friday onwards. It starts with the Rookie / Sophomore
Challenge on Friday night, along with the new Dunk-In between DeMar Derozan and Eric Gordon to finalize the Slam Dunk
Competition’s final contestant. I really think they’re missing out on guys like the Nets’ Terrence Williams and the Bulls’ Derrick
Rose (who’s a candidate for Dunk of the Year with this cram on the Suns’ Goran Dragic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVo-
1_GI5Qc). The other 3 contestants in the Dunk-Off – Nate Robinson, Shannon Brown and Gerald Wallace – don’t really excite me
(other than Brown), but we’ll see what they have up their sleeves on Saturday. Question – why wouldn’t Lebron want to strut his
stuff in front of 100,000 fans at the League’s Biggest Party of the Year?!?!?!
It’s a travesty that Chris Bosh isn’t starting in the All-Star Game on Sunday, but I guess the fans would much rather see a robotic
Kevin Garnett and step-slow Allen Iverson instead. I would like to make my pitch for Andrea Bargnani to be considered an All-Star
snub as well, but with David Lee not making the cut, Il Mago would have to wait behind him first.
Let’s touch base next Monday regarding this weekend’s festivities. It feels good to be back =)
I came across this cool little contest on ESPN.com last night - http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/dunks. I find it impossible to pick a
clear-cut winner in any of those pairings. Enjoy!
PS – My condolences to my fellow Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning fans out there, as they ran into a Team of Destiny – the
New Orleans Saints – last Sunday. The Who Dat Nation rules above all for now…
December 29, 2009
Only a couple days left until we say goodbye to the 2000s. As I promised last week, I wanted to offer up my NBA All-Decade Team
and see what you thought of it. There are a few lists floating around out there and I wanted to chime in with my opinion of the
greatest players over the last 10 years.
*AS OF THE 1999-2000 SEASON
1. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
As part of the much-heralded 1996 Draft, the Black Mamba is unequivocally the best player of the last 10 years. His resume
reads like this: 4 championships; 6 NBA Finals appearances; 1 League MVP and 1 Finals MVP. He’s the most prolific scorer in
the league and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 9 times. He started the 2000s with 3 championships in a row
and looks to start the next decade with a strong chance to win another two in a row.
2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
The Big Fundamental has quietly built himself into the greatest Power Forward the game has ever seen. His quiet and
unassuming demeanor hasn’t taken away from his winning ways, as he’s captured 3 championships since 1999-2000 along
with 2 NBA Finals MVP trophies and 1 League MVP. Though production has slowed down over the last couple of years, his
presence along with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Coach Gregg Popovich has kept the Spurs in contention every year.
3. Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers / Miami Heat / Phoenix Suns / Cleveland Cavaliers)
The Big Diesel is the most dominant centre the league has seen since Wilt Chamberlain. The self-proclaimed Godfather of the
NBA, Shaq’s the only player on this list that can make both the 1990s and 2000s All-Decade Teams. All 4 of his championships
have come since the 1999-2000, earning 3 in a row with Kobe and the Lakers and another ‘chip in South Beach with Dwayne
Wade and the Heat. His Championship rings are accompanied by 3 Finals MVP and 1 League MVP trophy. No doubt that his
career is coming to an end, but his All-Star numbers last season shows he’s still got a little left in the tank.
4. Steve Nash (Dallas Mavericks / Phoenix Suns)
Captain Canada has done the most of anyone on this All-Decade list for any player that HAS NOT won a championship. Although
he was already recognized as an All-Star with his buddy Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, he teamed with Mike D’Antoni to re-shape NBA
basketball when he returned for his second-stint in Phoenix. A winner of 2 League MVP Trophies (he arguably could’ve won 3 in a
row), he leads a run-and-gun style that not only produced many regular season wins, but awarded many of his teammates big-
time contracts.
5. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Part of the decade’s best Draft Class (2003), King James has lived up to all the high-school hype – and then some! At 6’8” and
tipping the scales at 250lbs, his blend of skill, speed and power has never been seen before. He’s already won 1 League MVP,
brought one of his team’s to the Finals (2006-07), and he hopes to team with Shaq to bring the Cavs to the promised land.
Experts liken him to the multi-talented Oscar Robertson (who once averaged a triple-double for an entire season), but I think LBJ
is on an even higher level than the Big O. His career stats of 27.6ppg / 6.8 assists / 7.0 reb / 1.7 steals are unreal.
6. Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves / Boston Celtics)
The Big Ticket was the League’s first Highschool-to-Pro star and helped breakdown the barrier for dozens of players in the mid-
90s. Though Commissioner Stern has since integrated a rule to stop the jump, this 6’11” (really 7’1”) do-it-all power forward had
teams revamping their scouting programs. He’s could be considered as this Decade’s Workhorse – logging an incredible
amount of minutes and producing great scoring & rebounding numbers. He’s got 1 League MVP under his belt, but will probably
be best remembered by teaming with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for bringing a championship back to Boston.
7. Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers / Denver Nuggets / Detroit Pistons)
Love him or hate him, AI is the posterboy for Hip-Hop’s influence on professional basketball. Regarded by many as the best little
man ever to play, Iverson single-handedly brought a Sixer team to the Finals back in 2000-01 (actually, that Sixer team had the
Defensive Player of the Year – Dikembe Mutumbo, Sixth Man of the Year – Aron McKie and Coach of the Year – Larry Brown) and
led the NBA in scoring 3 times. Although his style of play has caught up with him over the last three seasons (being traded twice
and recently kicked off the Memphis Grizzlies), I had to acknowledge his accomplishments over the last 10 years.
8. Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks / Phoenix Suns / New Jersey Nets)
It seems like an eternity ago that Jason Kidd picked up Co-Rookie of the Year Honours alongside Grant Hill, but Kidd has
consistently finished among the League Leaders in Assists for the 2000s (finishing first 4 times). His arrival in New Jersey
immediately resulted in two straight trips to the Finals and he’s been named to the All-Defensive Team 8 times over the last 10
years. It would be ludicrous to leave a player of his caliber off this list.
9. Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat)
The Fifth Overall pick in the 2003 Draft, it only took Flash a couple seasons to pick-up a Championship. Teaming with Shaquille
O’Neal, the Marquette product led the Heat to the Promised Land with one of the Greatest Finals Performances of All Time and
earned Finals MVP accolades. He’s led the NBA in scoring once (2008-09) and has been named to the All-NBA Team 4 times
since his rookie campaign.
10. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
Don Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks took a gamble by selecting this product of Germany in the 1998 Entry Draft, but it’s
definitely paid off. The 7’0” Power Forward is a walking mismatch, as he’s been named to the All-NBA Team 7 times – picking up
1 League MVP Trophy in 2007. In addition to his staggering statistics, he’s ushered a new era of highly-skilled big men that pro
scouts have to come to drool over.
Unfortunately, guys like Paul Pierce, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady didn’t make my personal list, but are considered Honorary
Mentions in my books.
Don’t agree with my picks or have a list of your own list? Send it to me at mike@25forlifebasketball.com.
I wonder if making an All-Decade List for Filipino Ball would be worth it haha…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 21, 2009
There’s only two weeks left in 2009 and things have pretty much come to a stop until the New Year. Last week I touched upon our
then-upcoming showdown against the Falcons in Fil-Act. It was a highly-anticipated game, as the Falcons have become a force
over the past couple of years, developing great chemistry and seemingly winning every tournament that we’re not participating in.
The game would also feature the return of Norman Penola, who’s currently enrolled at Ateneo and was coming home for the
Holidays. It would be a good showcase for young talent, as James Forrester and AJ Serjue had a chance to take a break from the
Seneca Sting schedule and play as well.
It was a close game from the tip-off, as nether team was able to garner much of an edge in the opening 10 minutes of the game.
The Falcons were using their drives to the basket to create easy scores under the rim. On the other hand, we were scoring in a
variety of ways, as JP Albano, James and AJ were dropping buckets in both half-court sets and transition. However, the Falcons
were able to stretch their lead to 12 points – as a mixture of ugly turnovers and defensive lapses made us look like a bunch of
elementary school kids rather than 9-time champions.
It was clear that they were feeling pretty nice about their lead, but like a good group of veterans, we were able to weather the
storm and right the ship. We tightened up the defensive intensity and cut into the deficit within a few possessions. Things
definitely got chippy, as Yours Truly picked up a double foul and technical foul in a tussle with Ronald (the Falcons Centre) with
about 10 minutes left in the game. The incident seemed to spark the run, as we settled in the driver’s seat on our way to a 9-point
win.
On the winning side, James Forrester ended up with 23 points (despite a bone-headed missed dunk / technical foul in the
waning minutes of the game) while AJ Serjue chipped in with 22 points of his own. Is it just me, or are these two morphing into a
Filipino basketball version of the high-flying Raptors duo of DeMar Derozan and Sonny Weems haha. The Falcons countered with
Norman Penola’s 19-point effort (not bad for someone who just came off the plane a day before) and 20+ points from Ronald.
We were able to earn the win despite the absence of both JR Manlucu and Geoff Malana, but we did welcome back Jerome Sta.
Maria into the fold after a personal hiatus from competition.
Things are pretty much on hold until the New Year, but given UNC’s Saturday win over Red Barons – it seems like they are our
target next month.
With 2010 just around the corner, there have been a number of Best of… lists being released. The most intriguing to me seems
to be Player of the Decade (NBA) lists, most of which feature a San Antonio Spur high atop the pile. I’m going to work on my own
personal list and I’ll publish it next week. Feel free to send me your Top 10 Players of the 2000s at mike@25forlifebasketball.com.
December 15, 2009
Right now I’m looking out the window, watching the snow come down. The year is coming to an end and this is the time that a lot
of college students come home for the Holidays. It’s a great time to catch up with those guys that have been gone for a while, as
we get to see how much they’ve improved since they’ve been away.
Here’s a quick glimpse of some of the guys that I know are playing collegiately and possibly coming back to the 416/905 for the
Christmas Season:
AJ Mandani
School: Missouri S&T
This Brampton product is in his second year at Missouri S&T. While the Miners currently sit at 3-5 for the 2009-2010 campaign,
AJ leads his team in every major offensive category and remains hopeful about his team’s fortunes. He’s coming home for the
Holidays and I look forward to chatting about his future plans with him. He has his sights set on testing the waters in the PBL in
the near future, so watch out for him.
http://sports.mst.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=707&path=mbball
http://sports.mst.edu/custompages/mbb/2009-10/teamgbg.htm
Norbert Torres
School: De La Salle University (Team B)
The 6’6” tower from Scarborough has been living in the Philippines for well over a year already. Though he hasn’t touched the
floor in a UAAP season yet (he isn’t eligible until 2010), he still remains one of the most highly regarded and versatile big men on
the collegiate scene. Word is that he’ll be part of the RP Smart Gilas Team B squad, which means he’ll get some great coaching
and international experience.
Norman Penola
School: Ateneo (Team B)
This youngster from Ajax has been doing well in his short time in the Philippines. The big-bodied PG has quickly become a
favourite of Coach Norman Black, but unfortunately needs to wait another season before making his UAAP debut in 2010. He’ll
be joining Norbert Torres on RP Smart Gilas Team B, adding to the Canadian flavour of that team. He’s expected to be back on
Saturday (December 19) and plans to join the Falcons in their game against us on Sunday. He vows to avenge their loss against
us in the Philcan Finals last season!
Jon Semira
School: San Sebastian
What a season it was for the former MT Titan and Western Mustang. Jon started for the Golden Stags for much of the season,
even starring in one of the season’s biggest games against JRU. SSC-R went on to face the three-time defending champions
San Beda Red Lions in the Finals, quickly ousting them in two straight games. His focus is now on PBL and preparing for the
next NCAA season, as he looks to take on more PG duties and some of the scoring load as team Scoring Leader Jimbo Aquino
graduates this year. Unfortunately, Jon won’t be making the trip home for the Holidays.
James Forrester
School: Seneca (Toronto)
The highly-touted prospect from Richmond Hill has been donning the Sting jersey for Seneca. So far, so good, as James is
second on his team in scoring – contributing 11.6ppg. However, look for James to improve as the season goes along – as he
continues to learn from Coach Dawkins and his staff on the fly. Though he’s shown flashes of brilliance, it’s also evident that he
has a lot to learn. The exhibition he put on against the team of visiting PBA All-Stars was legendary and has many people across
the pond eagerly waiting for him to put everything together and make the trip back to the Philippines.
AJ Serjue
School: Seneca (Toronto)
This Etobicoke baller flew under the scouting radar, but has been surprising his OCAA competition with some high energy and
playmaking skills. Currently as one of the sparks off Coach Dawkins’ bench, AJ has demonstrated eye-opening passing skills
and as a defensive presence. He still has superlative speed at the collegiate level and uses it to score in bunches. Like James,
he still has a lot to learn about the game, but the 254Life family couldn’t be any prouder.
In Raptors News, Bosh and Co. currently sit at 11-15, coming off a strong win over the always-tough Houston Rockets at the ACC
on Sunday. Hedo Turkoglu finally showed up for a game, recording a season-high 23 points and combining with Bosh for 50
points from the two forward positions. They’re slated to face the Miami Heat tonight and head up to Orlando for what is no doubt a
beatdown from the Magic.
Over the weekend, Minnesota Timerwolves’ Corey Brewer threw in his entry for Dunk of the Year honours – granting Derek Fisher
his One Moment in Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGeaSXxcmw (Poor Derek looked like he was shot out of a canon!)
December 07, 2009
Having spent most of last week in Los Angeles, I was surprised to hear that we were scheduled to face-off against the Barons
this past Sunday (December 06). Originally, we were supposed to play The One, but it was swapped out mid-week for some
reason.
So unlike our games of years past, this year’s Fil-Act Face-Off was without the pre-game hoopla and hype. The Barons are a
perennial league powerhouse, boasting names like Darryl Chopra, Adam and Phil Aglipay, Elvin Etcubanez and Russell Felipe.
They reloaded this season, as their prized rookie from last year Chris T. had a season under his belt, while the highly-coveted
Julian (aka Brandon Jennings) tossed his Durham loyalty to the side and suited up for the Barons.
The scale looked to be tilted in the Barons’ favour, as our team was missing a number of key contributors – including Ryan
Dawinan, Seppe Pompei, James Forrester and AJ Serjue, and not to mention that I was in ragged shape – battling a flu that I
contracted from travelling to LA. However, we were coming off a 50-point win where JP Albano looked to be in peak form.
We took it to them from the start, as we looked inside to JP – trying to exploit his size advantage over Adam Aglipay. He started
piling up the points fast, as he mixed up some inside/outside looks – while finding guys like Kim Tigley and JR Manlucu for easy
baskets inside as well. We held our own on defense, as we kept the Barons’ Post Monster ‘D-Real’ Chopra in check, but the
young Chris T. took capitalized on some offensive rebounds and easy baskets inside. The Barons’ second unit was sparked by
Elvin Etcubanez while Julian made his presence felt quickly with his drives to the lane and outside shooting.
We exerted more of our strength in the second half, as our interior play was just too strong – as JP, Kim and JR continued to pour
in the buckets. The Barons were fading away, only to have their young guns Julian and Chris, and Phil’s hot outside shooting
keep them within striking distance. In the end, it was a 9-point win for us – but the final score made it seem closer than it really
was.
Noting no absentees from the Barons side, we were able to pull off a big win over a league favourite despite missing some of
our important players. Kudos to JP for bringing his A-Game, as it was easy to ride his stellar play to the victory. Some would’ve
liked to have written JP as ‘over-the-hill’, but the Dude is back better than ever. He, JR and Kim all topped the 20-point mark that
game, probably the first time in a LONG time we were able to accomplish something like that.
In NBA News, the Raps are on a two-game winning streak, yet remain a horrible 9-13 on the season. Allen Iverson has re-signed
with the Philadelphia 76ers and will debut against the Denver Nuggets tonight. He was reduced to tears at his press conference
a couple days ago, stating that he just wants a chance to play basketball again. I can’t imagine what it will be like when he finally
realizes that he’s not the same baller anymore. He’s like those boxing champions that don’t know when to stop fighting…except
those guys have years of punches to the head and poor management to blame for their poor decisions. What’s your excuse A.I.?
Aren’t you smart enough to know when enough is enough? Smarten Up!
December 1, 2009
Sorry for being AWOL for a few weeks, but I got kinda lazy and didn’t have much to blog about anyway.
It was my birthday last week (November 26), as I joined the ’30 is the new 20’ club. Hitting the BIG 3-0 is a pretty big milestone in
life and I’m glad that I had a chance to celebrate it with so many of my close friends and family. I have too much for which to be
thankful and I would consider myself extremely lucky if my next 30 years will be just as great. My new goal is to slam on someone
just to be one of the first Filipinos in his 30s to be dunking in games haha.
Fil-Act started two weekends ago and it’s got a number of people riled up for another season of ball. I know JP Albano is extra
amped about this year, as he’s back to 100% and excited about the new additions to our squad. Seppe Pompei, Kim Tigley and
Geoff Malana have all played with us at one time or another, and I know that they will fit in to our system just fine. They’re all high-
IQ players and anytime you can have smart players on the floor, you give yourself a chance to win the game.
Having come off a 50-point (98-48) win over Durham last Sunday, it’s hard for me to think we won’t win another championship
this year. When at full strength with James Forrester and AJ Serjue playing, we’ve got plenty of size and athleticism that most
teams in the league won’t be able to match-up with. We once fielded a lineup of Geoff, AJ, James, Kim and Seppe…that’s a lot of
height on the court (relatively speaking anyways). Plus, we had Ryan Dawinan, JR Manlucu, Jeremiah Sta. Maria, JP and myself
sitting on the bench. I don’t say this too much, but there’s not a lot of holes in our lineup. Lest we forget Jerome Sta. Maria, who
has personally assured me that he’s been training on his own and back on top of his game.
I know there are a couple teams in the Fil-Act that are ready to take our crown: the Barons, Uncoachables, Saints and I think the
Falcons put in a team this year too. We’re chasing our 10th League Championship in 11 years this season, a feat that no other
team can ever claim. A decade worth of championships would be great, but I don’t know if winning a Fil-Act championship is
something that really drives me anymore. Toronto ball will always be Toronto ball – which is great, but I think I’ve really shifted my
focus to bigger picture things in the past 12-24 months. I love travelling to out-of-town tournaments to rep Toronto ball against
other competition; organizing events and tournaments are really fun (I’d like to run my own league soon); while helping younger
players get connected to schools and teams in the Philippines is a great challenge too. Its these kind of projects that keep me
going in this scene and I look forward to the future when I can really put my own stamp on Filipino / Asian ball. Of course, I’d love
to get another one or two Labour Day Tournament championships under my belt before I call it a wrap too ;-)
In NBA News:
• The Raptors are crap and look destined to be another floormat for teams to stomp on this season. It’s hard to imagine that
having 9 new faces on the team won’t change the losing culture, something that Bosh, Bargnani and Calderon have to take
blame for…
• Pau Gasol is back and the Lakers are rolling. Time is ticking on Bynum’s knee though – I’m sure it’ll give out sometime before
the All-Star break as it does every season.
• Brandon Jennings continues to be a rookie sensation. JP calls him the next Damon Stoudamire, but I see a lot of Nick Van Exel
in him too. The Bucks are winning too – which is the major statistic to measure his impact.
• Monta Ellis has been going off lately
• Is Stephen Jackson really the truth? His winning impact on the Bobcats is clearly evident. With Captain Jack and Gerald
Wallace occupying the wings, they’ll give opposing swingmen fits on the defensive end.
• Allen Iverson should retire and go to a psychiatrist to get his mind right. Dude is straight foolish.
November 9, 2009
Nothing much happened last week basketball-wise, but it was still a pretty busy week for me. My brother came in from the
Philippines last Saturday just after our exhibition game against the ex-PBA All-Stars. Fresh off winning the Season 85 NCAA
Championship in the Philippines, he only had a little over a week to kill before his first PBL season starts. Fortunately, the timing
coincided with a family wedding scheduled for this past Saturday, November 7 (Congrats Arnold & Jaymee!) – so his quick visit
was perfectly timed.
We had a couple events to welcome him back, including a family dinner to unveil him at the house (we didn’t tell anyone he was
coming) and a big gathering mid-week at Wegz Stadium Bar. If you’re from the GTA and haven’t checked out this place, you’re
missing out on the biggest and baddest Sports Bar in the Toronto area. Visit www.wegz.com for more information. We were able
to watch the Raptors pull off a rare win against the Detroit Pistons (sans Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince) and the New
York Yankees clinch the World Series with a Game 6 win over the Phillies. Thanks to everyone that came out…
The NBA season is three weeks in and there are a few storylines that have popped up already:
- It didn’t take Allen Iverson long to wear his welcome out in Memphis. He started complaining about playing time after his
FIRST game (which he came off the bench) and was granted a personal leave after his SECOND game. What is this guy’s
problem? Dude should really just retire before he makes a bigger fool of himself. He’s lost a couple steps and refuses to
take on a supporting role on a bad team. I never knew why people looked up to Iverson – his glory days were definitely the
Dark Era of the NBA.
- Elton Brand - one of my pre-season picks as Comeback Player of the Year – looks absolutely horrid so far. He’s looks like
a bad version of Marreese Speights right now and doesn’t even look like he belongs in the League.
- Al Jefferson has failed to record more than 10 rebounds in a game yet.
- Surprising to many, the Blazers’ Andre Miller and Brandon Roy have failed to demonstrate any kind of chemistry on the
court together.
- Andrea Bargnani is the second-best Center in the League. Is the combo of Bargs and Bosh the Best 5 & 4 in the NBA???
- The Orlando Magic have come back to Earth, as the losses of Rashard Lewis (suspension), Vince Carter (injury) and
Mickael Pietrus (injury) are catching up to them.
- The Phoenix Suns are surprising a lot of people right now – Nash, Richardson, Amare and CHANNING FRYE. Really???
- The Bucks’ Brandon Jennings is the early pick for Rookie of the Year – can someone tell him to get rid of the Bosh-like
twists please?
- Chris Bosh and Marquis Daniels have the worst hair in the L. Can David Stern please institute a rule that prohibits teams
for having any players bearing any likeness to the Predator? Someone call Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers to
hunt them down!
- I’d like to put out an APB on Sonny Weems – Where are you???
- How is the Shaq experiment going to pan out in Cleveland? LeBron won’t be able to handle this mediocrity much longer…
November 2, 2009
First off, I can’t believe it’s NOVEMBER already! This year is passing by very quickly and it seems like 2010 is just around the
corner.
The T-Dot Cream of the Crop Tournament concluded this weekend, as 25-for-Life faced off against our perennial rivals the
Barons with bragging rights and the right to face off against the ex-PBA All Stars on the line. The scene shifted to unfamiliar
grounds – the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. This was by far the largest venue we’ve played in and the facility was top notch!
We looked to push the tempo and turn up the defensive intensity from tip-off and it definitely paid off. In the end, the Barons didn’t
have the horses to keep up with us and we cruised to a double-digit win.
We had a couple hours off before our exhibition match-up against the ex-PBA All-Stars, as a couple East vs West All-Star games
(22-and-under & 17-and-under) were scheduled to showcase the talent pool of Toronto’s youth. We tried to squeeze James
Forrester in there to play in the 22-and-under game, but unfortunately the organizers didn’t allow it.
The event, which was produced by Glenn Ventura of Macy’s Distribution and organized by CKATT, brought a team of Filipino
basketball legends to Toronto. The roster of Benjie Paras, Jerry Codinera, Gerry Esplana, Jun Limpot, Ed Cordero, Noli Locsin,
Joey Santa Maria, Bonnel Balingit, Bong Alvarez, and legends Mon Fernandez and Atoy Co with the San Beda College coach
Bonnie Garcia. Toronto was the second stop on their tour, as they had just played a physical game in Winnipeg (which they had
won). Calgary and Vancouver were the other cities on their jam-packed schedule.
Even though it was ‘just’ an exhibition game, we were determined to come out on top – as we wanted to protect home court and
our pride as Toronto’s Best. We knew the PBAers would be jetlagged and we would be able to push the tempo to get some easy
baskets. Their obvious size advantage would get them some easy baskets on our end, but we knew they wouldn’t be able to last
40 minutes of trading baskets.
The first quarter could easily be named the James Forrester show, as the youngest player on the court had a number of dunks
that electrified the crowd – including a one-handed put-back that brought the house down. Behind some sharp-shooting from JR
Manlucu and Jeremiah Sta. Maria, we rode the momentum of a buzzer-beating dunk by Yours Truly (my first in-game dunk in
years haha) to take a slight lead into the second half.
After some halftime entertainment – including an impromptu “Ocho Ocho” performance by the MASSIVE (6’9” / 300lb) Bonnel
Balingit – we had all but lost any momentum we had built in the first half. Our opponents seemed a lot more eager to get down to
business, as Noli “The Tank” Locsin and Bong “Mr. Excitement” Alvarez got more aggressive on the offensive end and were
scoring from the field and the charity stripe. However, we refused to back down as JR and Jeremiah continued to hit big three-
pointers and our bend-but-don’t-break defense came up with key stops down the stretch. The game wasn’t decided until our last
possession, when we were able to execute a play to get Jeremiah an open three-pointer at the top of the key – which he promptly
drilled like the stone-cold assassin he’s been all his career – to put us up by three. The All-Stars weren’t able to get a shot up at
the end of the game, giving 25-for-Life the hard-earned win.
Congratulations to Macy’s Distribution and CKATT for putting on a great event. We had a lot of fun participating in the event and I
look forward to possibly working with Glenn on other projects in the future.
October 27, 2009
It’s only a few days until the conclusion of the T-Dot Cream of the Crop tournament. The buzz is growing as 25-for-Life and
Barons battle it out one more time to decide who are the Kings of the 416/905. As I mentioned before, the winner goes on to face
a team of former PBA Superstars in an exhibition game.
Again, the ONLY way you can get to see the games is buying tickets from Ticketmaster. Buy online by visiting www.ticketmaster.
ca and search for PBA ALL STARS – or you can paste this link into your browser: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Pba-All-Stars-
tickets/artist/1368172
Congratulations to my bro and the San Sebastian Golden Stags for winning the NCAA Championship last Saturday. They beat
the three-time defending champions San Beda Red Lions in two straight games before a packed house at the Araneta Coliseum
in Manila. I remember watching this group of guys practice and play in the off-season leagues like Fil-Oil Flying V and Nike
Summer League when I was visiting my brother back in April. I’ll be the first to tell you that they didn’t look like a serious
contender at that time. However, Coach Ato Augustin was able to get these guys on the same page when it counted and – barring
a rough patch of games at the end of the season – dominated their competition. Jon’s excited about getting his CHAMPIONSHIP
RING and he can add it to his OFSAA “AAAA” medal that he won with his crew at Mother Teresa a few years ago. To James
Forrester – you could’ve had a ring on your finger too homey!!! Hahaha.
The 2009-2010 NBA Season starts tonight! With so many SUPER TEAMS built to win the championship, it’s anyone’s guess as
to who will be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the year. Here are my pre-season favourites for the awards:
MVP: LeBron James
Defensive POY: Dwight Howard (just because guards and forwards like Ron Artest and Chris Paul rarely get defensive
credit)
Most Improved: Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Brandon Roy (does it count when players make the jump from stars to
SUPERstars?)
Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans (only if Blake Griffin is out more than 6 weeks with his patella cap injury)
Sixth Man of the Year: Leandro Barbosa (Alvin Gentry will let him go wild), Jamal Crawford
Comeback Player: Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand
Coach of the Year: Flip Saunders
Team of the Year: Los Angeles Lakers – expect them to challenge for the 72-win record this season
On to the hometown Raptors – what’s the deal with these guys? There’s only three hold-overs from last year’s team – Chris
Bosh, Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani – but pre-season hasn’t shown off the new grit that this squad is supposed to have.
Hedo seems like a good fit at the Point Forward position and DeMar Derozan is an extremely athletic wingman with a good work
ethic. Not to mention, Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson look like good energy guys off the bench. We’ll see how they do against
King James and Shaq in the season opener tomorrow. I’m predicting that Lebron will go off for 30pts in three quarters of play,
with Shaq getting limited time because it’s the second in a back-to-back. Cavs by 18.
BTW, I coming off a Bachelor Party trip to Chicago last weekend. All I have to say is that Al’s Beef (Italian Beef Sandwiches) is the
best kept secret in the Windy City. I’ve been to Chicago dozens of times and haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying an authentic Al’
s sandwich until Sunday. AMAZING! Better than Pat’s, Geno’s or Jim’s cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. Quite possibly, the greatest
sandwich on the planet. And that’s without adding cheese on it!!!
Well that’s it for now. I’ll be back with a full report on the PBA All Star event next week.
October 19, 2009
What a weekend! I’m still in recovery mode from the first-ever TDot Cream of the Crop Tournament, but I’m glad to say that
everything went off without a hitch. Let me preface this with the fact that none of this wouldn’t be possible without the support from
all the teams, volunteers, the 25-for-Life family, Philcan and Macy’s Distribution.
It’s hard to imagine an 8-team, two-venue, 18-game tournament could be organized in literally two weeks - but everything
seemed to come together like a perfect storm. On top of all that, the basketball action was on-point! All the teams were evenly
matched, resulting in intense games and nail-biting finishes. I can’t recall another tournament with so many close games – and I’
ve been playing in tournaments since I was 10 years old haha.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (*PLAYERS TO WATCH*)
- 25-for-Life: James Forrester, JR Manlucu
- Barons: Darryl “D-Real” Chopra, Elvin Etcubanez
- Falcons: Ronald “Silent Assassin”, Chris Bongolan
- Durham x Uncoachables x Lakan (D.U.L.): Backcourt of J-Nep x Clint x Julian
- Angiels – Ariel (former MBA star)
- Vaughan – Backcourt of CJ and Mike
- All-In – Ochinang trio, John Mandani
- The One – Mark Guiam, Martin Lim
DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• The University of Toronto at Mississauga venue is a first class facility. The courts are wide open, there is ample seating
available for both courts and there’s a food court located within the facilities. Apart from some technical issues with the
scoreboards first thing in the morning, all was smooth thanks to our volunteer team.
• Despite the clutch shooting from Phil Aglipay, a determined All-In team played the role of giant killers, taking down a new-look
25-for-Life in Overtime.
• Ken Billones’ The One squad brought out some legendary names (including Martin Lim, JP Patricio and Mark Guiam) to take
down an upstart Vaughan squad and en route to finishing as the 3rd seed in their pool.
• Falcons finishing the day as the only undefeated team in pool play, earning them top seed in their pool.
• 25-for-Life squeezing out a 2 point win against Durham (the Durham x Lakan x Uncoachables collabo effort – D.U.L.) which
gave 254L the #2 seed and bumping Durham down to #4 and a date w/ Falcons in Sunday’s quarterfinals.
• All-In eeks past Angiels thanks to a late-game whistle which awarded them free throws. All-In finishes as top seed in their pool,
Angiels bumped down to #3.
DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• The basketball action shifted to the cozy and more familiar venue - Mother Teresa High School in Scarborough.
Quarterfinals Results
• 25-for-Life (2) seemed determined to shake off the lackluster performance from Saturday and came out with guns blazing
against the The One (3) team. Despite some inspired play from swingman Mark Guiam, 254L had too much firepower. Final
Score: 254L: 72, The One: 39.
• Thanks to the recruiting mastery of RJ Nepomuceno, a face-lifted version of Barons (2) rides the hot shooting of Niko Carino
(fresh off from visiting the Coach Calipari’s Wildcats at the University of Kentucky) to get past the always-physical Angiels (3).
Final Score: Barons: 55, Angiels 49.
• In a surprising 1 vs 4 match-up, the Falcons (1) failed to get past the D.U.L. (4) team for a second-straight week. Look for this
new rivalry to heat up moving forward! Final Score: Falcons 41, D.U.L. 49.
• All-In (1) had their tournament hopes dashed by a re-focused Vaughan (4) squad led by CJ Isit and welcomed the legendary
Gilbert Francisco back into the fold. Final Score: All-In 40, Vaughan: 46.
Semifinals Results
• In a highly-anticipated match-up, 254L took on a red-hot D.U.L. squad that had championship aspirations. 254L came out to a
hot start, despite Phil Aglipay, JR Manlucu and AJ Serjue arriving late due to undisclosed reasons (Snowboard show AHEM!).
However, D.U.L. weathered the storm and came back in the second half. In the end, there was no answer for JR Manlucu inside,
while Ali Nizam and Ryan Dawinan put the game on ice with perfect free throw shooting. Word to the D.U.L. coaching staff of
George and Scruff – KEEP THIS TEAM TOGETHER! Final Score: 254L 61, D.U.L. 54.
• In what was probably the best game of the tournament, Vaughan looked to vanquish their winless Saturday by taking out the
Barons and earning a trip to the Big Show. It went back and forth all game, with the backcourt of CJ and Mike giving the Barons’
Jeff Cruz (Legend!), Chris and Elvin all they could handle. But it was the presence of Darryl “D-Real” Chopra that won the game
for the Barons, as he spun baseline and converted on a short shot from the block to seal the game with one second left. Final
Score: Barons 72, Vaughan 71.
CHAMPIONSHIP
254L and Barons will square off for city Bragging Rights on October 31 at 11:00am at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. The
winner of the Cream of the Crop Tournament will play against a crop of 12 ex-PBA superstars in an exhibition game at 3:00pm
later that day.
Come out and check out all the festivities – Cream of the Crop Finals, PBA Basketball Clinic, 20-and-under All-Star Game, and
Toronto’s Best vs. ex-PBA All Stars Exhibition Game!!!
Log on to www.ticketmaster.ca and search for “PBA All Stars” or just click here: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Pba-All-Stars-
tickets/artist/1368172
Again, thanks to all that supported the cause and came out to check out the first-ever TDot Cream of the Crop Tournament. The
weekend definitely showed me that Toronto ball is as healthy as ever and shows a lot of promise for years to come. The event
was a raging success and we hope to throw it again next year.
October 13, 2009
Well folks, your Boy is Back. I apologize for being MIA for the past few weeks, but I took a self-imposed hiatus due to a bunch of
things being up in the air. We were in limbo about supporting a particular event and I didn’t want to make a post about it without
being 100% sure.
The good news is that after weeks of deliberation, we finally have the green light.
Check it out:
T-DOT’S CREAM OF THE CROP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
It’s finally here - a two-day tournament between the best Filipino ballers in the T-Dot. In conjunction with MACY’S
DISTRIBUTION in Vancouver, BC and the PhilCan Athletic Group, 25-for-Life is gathering EIGHT of the 416/905’s best teams to
battle for the right to represent the city of TORONTO against a group of ex-PBA professionals from the Philippines.
DETAILS
Date: October 17-18 & 31st
Venues: University of Toronto Mississauga Campus (October 17)
Mother Teresa Scarborough (October 18)
Hershey Centre Mississauga (October 31 – Finals and Exhibition Game)
Cost: $375
PROMO: Each team will receive 10 tickets (valued at $35.00 each) to the Main Event on October 31 at the Hershey
Centre. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go towards the Red Cross’ efforts to help the victims of flooding
caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy in the Philippines. Players are asked to help sell as many tickets as possible,
as proceeds go towards a great cause close to our hearts.
Winning Team will receive a set of Uniforms (12) to wear in the Main Event against the PBA Pros!
Format: 3 Games of Pool Play & 1 Playoff Game Guaranteed – 4 GAMES TOTAL!
Pool Play – Saturday (UTM Venue)
Playoffs (up to Semi-Finals) – Sunday (MT Venue)
Finals – Saturday, October 31 (Hershey Centre Venue)
This is the first event of its kind, as not only are players competing for bragging rights, but for a chance to play against some of
the best players in PBA history – no joke. For example, ALVIN PATRIMONIO – who is on the ex-PBA team roster – is listed at 6’4”,
a FOUR-TIME PBA MVP and has been named to the PBA Mythical Five (First Team All-Star) and amazing TEN TIMES!!! When else
would you be able to play against a player of this caliber?
In addition to bringing the best ballers together, we’re using this event as a way to bring the Filipino-Canadian Community
together as a fund-raiser for the victims of the Ondoy disaster back in the Philippines through the Canadian Red Cross (www.
redcross.ca). A portion of the ticket sales for the main event at the Hershey Centre on October 31 will go towards disaster relief,
as I’m sure we have relatives or know of people that have been affected by the storm back home. This is the perfect opportunity to
give back to our less-than-fortunate brethren, so let’s do our best to make this event a success.
Breakdown of Invited Teams:
• 25-for-Life
Multiple-time Philcan, Fil-Act and MPAA champions. Not much needs to be said that hasn’t been already. When clicking on all-
cylinders, this team has a legit scoring threat at every position and plays suffocating defense on the other end. Lack of practice
and conditioning may be a factor however, so now is as good as a time as ever for others to snatch the title of ‘Toronto’s Best’
from their grasps.
• Red Barons
This crew has long-been repping for the 416 in the PIBNA Intercity tournament every Labour Day weekend. A consistent
powerhouse in Fil-Act, “Ari”-J Nepomuceno has high hopes that his Barons will be beating up on the ex-PBA guys come October
31. Watch out for Darryl “D-Real” Chopra manning the middle, as he’s definitely one of the best Big Men in the city.
• Falcons
The squad has been silently building a strong resume as one of the top teams in Toronto over the last 3 years. This year has
been good for the Falcons, as they won the Mabuhay Cup tournament over the summer and finished the 2009 PhilCan season
as the Top Seed / Regular Season Champs. Look out for Ronald (the Silent Assassin), Allan Garcia and Teddy Vicente as the
team’s key contributors.
• Durham/Lakan/UNC
Fresh off a surprising Turkey Ball tournament win last weekend, the Lakan/UNC connection is flying high and is considered as
one of the most-feared teams in the city. Now combining with Durham, expect a team that will be deeper than most – comprising
of young legs that are willing to push the tempo for 40 minutes a game. Floor General and former Durham College star Jason
Nepomuceno and the much-heralded Matthew Wright headline this new team that hopes to shock the world one more time. Will
a Scruff x J-Nep x G. Lalata collaboration equal success this time around?
• All-In
Most members of this team call Brampton home, so let’s give these guys the nickname of the ‘Bovaird Bullies’. They’ve been
playing together for a long time and their chemistry is evident through their signature full-court trap defense and fluid motion
offense. Allan Ochinang quarterback’s an offensive arsenal full of long-range bombers.
• Vaughan
Another team on the cusp of success is this group of youngsters from Vaughan. Highlighted by very heady play from their
backcourt of Mike and CJ Isit (from OFSAA Powerhouse Vaughan HS), this squad gave the Falcons a scare in the Turkey Ball
semifinals before a couple late-minute miscues cost them the game. Coach Duane Pedro isn’t new to the big game, so don’t be
surprised if Vaughan pulls off a number of wins over more favoured teams.
• Richmond Hill Toyota
Wondering why Richmond Hill Toyota is here? Well apart from being Fil-Act Champions umpteen times, there is no other team in
the tournament that can match up with this squad’s size and experience. Boasting a pair of former professional ballers (including
the 6’5” multi-talented Richard Zhu), solid guard play from Stan Ong leads this team to the W more often than not. Will they have
the legs to keep up with the rest of the teams? I think the question is do the other teams have the size to match up with them?
• Angiels
One of the staples of Toronto Basketball since the early 90s, Ariel Alfonso’s team is famous for their grit and knowledge of the
game. These guys aren’t shy about mixing it up underneath the boards, so expect a physical battle for the full 40 minutes. No
team enjoys playing them – a definite reason why they’re a threat to do some damage in this tournament.
So that’s it for pre-tournament hype for now. This thing was literally put together over the past few days, so there are a couple last
minute details that need to be worked out.
We’re still looking for volunteers to help run the tournament, so please don’t hesitate to contact me at mike@25forlifebasketball.
com to find out how you can help.
I’ll be back with a full run-down next Monday.
Mike's blog archives
September 2008 - January 2009
February 2009 - September 2009
The first week of March is complete and it definitely feels like Spring is in the air. Temperatures are rising, the days are getting
longer and the city leagues are reaching a fever pitch.
We had our last regular season Fil-Act game on Sunday – a 345pm tilt against the UNC squad. The coveted top seed in the
playoffs was at stake, as the Uncoachables only had a single blemish on their record all season. A loss to them meant that we
would end up as the #2 seed, a spot we’ve never occupied for 11 straight seasons. But this game was going to be pretty tough,
as we didn’t have the luxury of having guys like James Forrester, AJ Serjue, JP Albano and JR Manlucu to handle the scoring
load. Instead, 25-for-Life fielded a skeleton crew of sorts – as we had Ryan Dawinan, Geoff Malana, Kim Tigley, Jeremiah Sta.
Maria, CJizzle Reyes (injured) and myself. The odds appeared to be stacked against us, as the UNC team was at full strength
and ready to pounce on a 254L squad that looked to be ripe for the taking.
Due to the unique make-up of our team, we started the game in a 3-2 zone to force UNC into shooting long jumpers from the
corner (as opposed to the wing that are usually higher-percentage attempts). However, their guard heavy line-up is accustomed
to ball movement and they were quick to counter our defense with some sharp shooting from anywhere on the court. We quickly
went back to a man-to-man scheme, which gave them less open looks and allowed us to contest a lot of their jumpers. On the
offensive end, we used our size advantage to get us good looks at the basket. Unfortunately, we couldn’t convert on all of our
attempts, but it gave us enough to go into halftime tied at 34-34.
The second half went much better for us, as we dialed up the defensive pressure and caused a few turnovers with some active
hands in the paint. Offensively, Jeremiah Sta. Maria took the game over with his pin-point accuracy from beyond the arc. Shots
that weren’t dropping for him in the first half were nothing but net in the second half, as he dropped 5 straight long-range bombs
and mixed in a few mid-range jumpers to boot. He finished the game with 30 points – including 7 three-pointers. Looks like he’s
peaking at just the right time, just like any savvy veteran knows he should. We ended up winning the game and securing #1 seed
for the playoffs. Our first round opponent will be the run-and-gun FLIPSIDE team, who disposed of the Durham team in an OT
thriller yesterday.
In Raptors news, they lost to the Sixers in yesterday’s matinee game and continues its downward spiral out of playoff contention.
Here’s what the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture looks like right now:
1. Cleveland
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Atlanta
5. Milwaukee
6. Toronto
7. Miami
8. Chicago
9. Charlotte
With Hedo out yesterday, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a complete lineup from the Raps. I’m afraid that these guys aren’t
showing any sense of urgency and will let the playoffs slip out of their hands in a couple of weeks. Milwaukee is playing out of
their minds and Charlotte is becoming a tough match-up for anybody – given their wing duo of Gerald Wallace and Stephen
Jackson. I hate the Raptors so much right now…
March 1, 2010
Can you believe that it’s March already? Where has the time gone? I know that much of February was caught up in Olympic fever,
as the Vancouver games closed with a bang – with Team Canada winning the beloved gold medal in Hockey. The Canadian
medal count was pretty embarrassing after the first week of competition, but rallied back in Week 2 and produced the highest
Gold medal count of any nation in the history of the Winter Games. That’s pretty good, but Canada was still behind both the USA
and Germany in the final medal standings. I don’t mean to rain on the Canadian parade, but let’s put it this way, does anyone
really care about the Winter Olympics? I can tell you this – I have absolutely no recollection of what happened in Torino 4 years
ago.
Other than the pre-requisite Olympic celebrations, things were pretty quiet over the weekend. Contrary to what we originally
thought, we only had one game scheduled on Sunday – a PhilCan game against PHYACTION. Admittedly, our team isn’t as
strong as it can be right now – as we’re still in the midst of integrating our youngsters Elliot and Cedric. However, it was behind
the sharpshooting of the two youngest players on the team – along with Jeremiah Sta. Maria – that helped us secure a two-point
win. The trio combined for 10 three pointers altogether, while our usual mainstay for scoring (AJ Serjue) was saddled on the
bench with foul trouble.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Watch out for the flop calls these days. We’ve never seen the call made by any official before, but we were hit
with FOUR calls during Sunday’s game. The fourth warranted a technical foul as well, almost handing the game over to
PHYACTION. Definitely something to note for our games moving forward.
On to Raptor news, where the Dinos have dropped three straight games to Portland, Cleveland and just recently Oklahoma City
last night. Bosh has missed 5 games in a row now and appears to be content as the team loses any cushion they’ve built up
over teams like Chicago, Miami and Milwaukee. CB4 is leaving his team out to dry as he tends to a slight ankle sprain – and what
seemed to be a race to catch the Celtics is now turning into a desperate cling to a playoff spot. All I know is that the Raptors need
to do whatever they can to get away from the 5th seed if the Atlanta Hawks continue to occupy #4, as if they match-up with Joe
Johnson & Co. in the First Round of the Playoffs – they will be swept in four horrific lopsided games.
February 22, 2010
We were scheduled with a double-header on last Sunday, with us taking on The One in Fil-Act and the Kagers in Phil-Can…
Our game against The One wasn’t really close. JR Manlucu and I showed up late for the game (as usual), but we had pretty
much a full squad, so there wasn’t really a problem. We were finally able to sport our new jerseys which is always exciting – as
we went with a new colour theme that I think was executed quite well. Fueled by the energy of AJ Serjue and James Forrester, we
took the lead early and didn’t look back. Jeremiah Sta. Maria had the hot hand in the first half, connecting from all spots on the
court. The One’s Martin ‘The Legend’ Lim was an offensive spark for the opposition, slicing to the hoop and unleashing his
signature finger roll a few times. In the end, it was an easy double digit win for 25-for-Life and we had our sights set on the late
game just up the 404.
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know that 25-for-Life and the Kagers have endured several battles over the last couple years.
Yesterday’s match-up was another chapter in the growing rivalry, as the Kagers made a special request to play us before one of
their key players – Eric Liao – left for a month-long trip to China this week. It was another closely-fought game, as the Kagers
used their zone defense and disciplined offense to build up a lead in the first half. Unfortunately, our shooting wasn’t up to par –
as we were misfiring on our perimeter shots and didn’t manufacture much offense inside. By the end of the first 20 minutes, we
found ourselves down 9 points and unable to beat their zone.
The second half was a different story, as we pushed the tempo, caused some turnovers, and cut the Kagers lead down to 2
points within the first couple minutes of the half. It was pretty much nip-and-tuck from then on, as the new pace favoured our team
and kept the Kagers on their toes. We thought we had iced the game thanks to some free-throws from Ryan Dawinan and AJ
Serjue (though he did miss one key free throw), but Don Lee-Pow came back to hit a desperation three-pointer to tie the game at
the buzzer.
We won the tip to start overtime and held the ball to force the Kagers to go into a Man-to-Man defense. They declined…resulting
in almost 3 full minutes of passing the ball around and running down the clock. We called time-out to setup a play to get JP
Albano a shot on the baseline. We ran it to perfection, as JP threw a pump fake and stepped to the side and drained a jumper
with just a couple ticks left on the clock. The Kagers called a timeout, but were unable to get up a good shot after inbounding from
under their basket.
So it seems like the basketball season is well underway, Fil-Act is gearing up for the playoff run, PhilCan is in full swing and we’
re getting ready for our first tournament of the year at the end of March – the GMAA Tournament in Chicago. This is the same
tournament we played in last year, that features Asian, Indo-Pak and Muslim players. It’s a very tough tournament and very well
organized. Should be fun.
February 16, 2010
So we’re coming off NBA All-Star Weekend, Valentine’s Day and Family Day – what a busy weekend! There’s so much to tackle,
but I’ll give it my best start…
MY NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND THOUGHTS…
1) Rookie / Sophomore Challenge – We all know how this game goes – up and down, dunks, missed alley-oops and not
much defense at all. I always thought that this year’s Rookie Class was tremendously weak, but I forgot how bad last year’s was
too haha. Either way, Russell Westbrook was out to get his – while the commentators were hating on Tyreke Evans for being a
ball-dominant guard. Weird…I never really noticed it before as his stats are 20ppg / 5 rebs / 5 assists. Not bad at all. The real
story (other than the Rooks beating the Sophs) was DuJuan Blair and his 20/20 game. The fact that he has absolutely NO ACLs
in his knees both amazes and frightens me!
2) Slam Dunk-In – Is it just me or were you scared that Demar DeRozan wasn’t going to make it past Eric Gordon? DD was
way too nonchalant in his ways, as if Gordon put down his two dunks cleanly without any misses – a large amount of voters
would’ve picked the Clipper guard to move on.
3) Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown (Amateur Dunk-Off) – This was probably the best part of the weekend. Air Up There (aka Mr.
720), Los, Flyte and Young Hollywood were marketed as the best amateur dunkers in the country. Other than AUT, none of these
other guys should’ve been in – I’ll give Los his dues, but I’m sure a quick YouTube search would find you 3 other deserving guys.
Ajax’s own Justin Darlington should’ve been in there, along with my picks Tony Dandridge (New Mexico), T-Dubb (MA), Guy
Dupuy (France) and Cal State Fullerton’s Gerard Anderson. AUT won the contest going away and gave guys like LeBron and
Drake a taste of what the world of freestyle dunking is all about. Guys like AUT are the reason they’ll never allow amateurs into
the NBA contest, as no professional player wants to lose to an amateur. Period.
4) Shooting Stars – Team Texas kicked some butt reeling off a finish time of 34.XXsec. Pretty sick! It gave Kenny Smith a lot to
trash talk about to C-Webb, Steve Smith and Brent Barry.
5) Skills Challenge – Steve Nash reigns supreme one more time, showing guys like Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook and
Brandon Jennings that he’s still got the stuff.
6) 3PT Shootout – Paul Pierce goes from worst to first. I would’ve never guessed it. But ask P-Squared himself and he’ll tell
you if he wasn’t busy scoring buckets in a variety of ways for his entire career, he could’ve easily sat on the three-point line and be
considered one of the best shooters of all time (sounds like a cheap shot to Ray Allen if you ask me).
7) Slam Dunk Contest – There really shouldn’t have been a ‘winner’ in this contest. The two guys who legitimately could’ve
brought the crowd to their feet proved that they lacked the showmanship to be a real Slam Dunk Champion. Shannon Brown
came with a lot of hype, but obviously lacked creativity to do anything that didn’t draw a yawn from the crowd. Demar Derozan
easily had the best dunks of the night, but lacked the hype-ness and charisma to get the crowd invested in him. So Nate
Robinson – who was coming off a charity win last year (you know if Dwight Howard didn’t involve himself in his last, he wouldn’t
have won) – wins by default. His last dunk was great, but I’m sure both DD and Sonny Weems have dunks in their repertoire that
would easily top it. So next year, I advise the following to revive the contest - $1,000,000 PRIZE MONEY to get the big names out.
Then bring in Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Nate Robinson, Demar Derozan, Terrence Williams and Sonny Weems to put on a
show. We all know that Lebron pulled out once Shannon Brown was making a push for this year’s contest (it’s obvious he didn’t
want to lose to a D-Leaguer – it would hurt his image too much), so let’s hope the money and fellow ‘big’ names get him to come
out.
8) All-Star Game – It’s hard to imagine that 108,000+ people crammed into Dallas Stadium to watch a glorified pick-up run.
Granted, the game was uncharacteristically close, but I can’t imagine the game could’ve been enjoyable for at least 60,000 of
those people. At least we got to see another off-the-backboard-to-himself-dunk (this time from Dwayne Wade) and a few monster
slams by Lebron and Dwight. Even the Raptors own Chris Bosh (aka one of the Na’vi from Avatar as he’s come to be known)
chipped in with a solid performance. Is there another PF in the League better than him right now? Despite what the Spurs faithful
say about Tim Duncan, Bosh is on the cusp on the league elite status. Of course, Raps fans know that both TD and Kevin Garnett
still have CB4’s number right now defensively – but Bosh is doing it on both ends consistently for the first time in his career.
Also, I had a chance to check out the Robin Thicke concert last Sunday for Valentine’s Day. It was held at the Sound Academy
(formerly the Docks) and despite the lengthy wait and so-so opening acts of Emerson Brooks, Dru and Kim Davis – Allan Thicke’
s (aka Dr. Jason Seaver from Growing Pains) son absolutely killed it! By far the Coolest White Guy in the World. Period.
Other than that, there’s a couple games this weekend in Fil-Act and Philcan. I’ll be back with a report next week.
February 9, 2010
Your Boy is Back. I know it’s been another LONG while since I’ve updated my blog, but things have been really hectic with life and
pretty quiet on the basketball front. There wasn’t much to write about…so I put the blog stuff on hiatus. But it’s been over a month
and I figure that it’s about time I get back into the game.
First off, both Fil-Act and Philcan leagues are going on and we’re doing well in both. The Fil-Act regular season is almost done,
but we still have a showdown with the Uncoachables on the horizon. I think they’re the last upper-echelon team we have yet to
play, as we’ve taken care of the Barons, Saints and Falcons already. Our Fil-Act squad is looking tough this year, as we’re able to
use our big bodies like Kim Tigley, James Forrester, JR Manlucu and Giuseppe Pompei to rebound and score easy baskets
underneath. Not to mention the inspired play of JP Albano these days, as it seems he’s turned back the clock and playing like its
Y2K all over again. The real surprise has been the play of AJ Serjue, who’s maturation and ability to fine tune his talent has
turned him into the most feared scorer in the league. I’m sure the discipline from playing with the Seneca Sting this season
(albeit for a short time) has helped a lot, as not only does AJ put up points in a hurry – but he’s improved on the defensive end of
the ball as well.
In Philcan, the league welcomed back teams like the Dragons (they’ve entered both A and B squads this year) and Kagers. It’s a
pretty deep league this year, as we still have good teams like the Falcons, Barons, Uncoachables and FCCM. As JP has
mentioned in one of his earlier blogs, both Ryan Dawinan and Jeremiah Sta. Maria have returned to the team – but surprisingly,
we’ve lost Jerome Sta. Maria who opted to run with his hometown Rexdale team this season. We’ve also picked up some young
blood to add to the lineup, as 16-year-old Cedric and 19-year-old Elliott infuse some much-needed energy when they’re on the
floor. It’s definitely going to be an interesting season.
In other news, I’m proud to announce that my brother has been picked up by a team called Fern C (I think it’s a vitamin company)
and will be participating in his first PBL season. For those who aren’t familiar with the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), it is
the Philippines’ oldest semi-professional league and is considered a stepping stone towards the PBA. The league starts in just
over a week (February 16) and features eight teams. Jon’s team features the legendary Bal David at the helm as Head Coach
and NCAA MVP John Michael Wilson (from JRU) and fellow SSC-R Golden Stag Raymond Maconocido on the roster.
On to the NBA, where the Toronto Raptors are among the hottest teams in the League right now. I believe they have the second-
best record in the Association since Christmas and they look to be improving with every game. Chris Bosh is playing out of his
mind, while Jarrett Jack has earned the starting PG job and the Antoine Wright acquisition seems to be paying off dividends.
Though the Raptors are the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference, their defense still needs a lot of work. Their last
loss against the lowly Pacers was absolutely atrocious, giving up 130pts to a low-level team.
The All-Star weekend is coming up and that means a lot of hoopla from Friday onwards. It starts with the Rookie / Sophomore
Challenge on Friday night, along with the new Dunk-In between DeMar Derozan and Eric Gordon to finalize the Slam Dunk
Competition’s final contestant. I really think they’re missing out on guys like the Nets’ Terrence Williams and the Bulls’ Derrick
Rose (who’s a candidate for Dunk of the Year with this cram on the Suns’ Goran Dragic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVo-
1_GI5Qc). The other 3 contestants in the Dunk-Off – Nate Robinson, Shannon Brown and Gerald Wallace – don’t really excite me
(other than Brown), but we’ll see what they have up their sleeves on Saturday. Question – why wouldn’t Lebron want to strut his
stuff in front of 100,000 fans at the League’s Biggest Party of the Year?!?!?!
It’s a travesty that Chris Bosh isn’t starting in the All-Star Game on Sunday, but I guess the fans would much rather see a robotic
Kevin Garnett and step-slow Allen Iverson instead. I would like to make my pitch for Andrea Bargnani to be considered an All-Star
snub as well, but with David Lee not making the cut, Il Mago would have to wait behind him first.
Let’s touch base next Monday regarding this weekend’s festivities. It feels good to be back =)
I came across this cool little contest on ESPN.com last night - http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/dunks. I find it impossible to pick a
clear-cut winner in any of those pairings. Enjoy!
PS – My condolences to my fellow Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning fans out there, as they ran into a Team of Destiny – the
New Orleans Saints – last Sunday. The Who Dat Nation rules above all for now…
December 29, 2009
Only a couple days left until we say goodbye to the 2000s. As I promised last week, I wanted to offer up my NBA All-Decade Team
and see what you thought of it. There are a few lists floating around out there and I wanted to chime in with my opinion of the
greatest players over the last 10 years.
*AS OF THE 1999-2000 SEASON
1. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
As part of the much-heralded 1996 Draft, the Black Mamba is unequivocally the best player of the last 10 years. His resume
reads like this: 4 championships; 6 NBA Finals appearances; 1 League MVP and 1 Finals MVP. He’s the most prolific scorer in
the league and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 9 times. He started the 2000s with 3 championships in a row
and looks to start the next decade with a strong chance to win another two in a row.
2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
The Big Fundamental has quietly built himself into the greatest Power Forward the game has ever seen. His quiet and
unassuming demeanor hasn’t taken away from his winning ways, as he’s captured 3 championships since 1999-2000 along
with 2 NBA Finals MVP trophies and 1 League MVP. Though production has slowed down over the last couple of years, his
presence along with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Coach Gregg Popovich has kept the Spurs in contention every year.
3. Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers / Miami Heat / Phoenix Suns / Cleveland Cavaliers)
The Big Diesel is the most dominant centre the league has seen since Wilt Chamberlain. The self-proclaimed Godfather of the
NBA, Shaq’s the only player on this list that can make both the 1990s and 2000s All-Decade Teams. All 4 of his championships
have come since the 1999-2000, earning 3 in a row with Kobe and the Lakers and another ‘chip in South Beach with Dwayne
Wade and the Heat. His Championship rings are accompanied by 3 Finals MVP and 1 League MVP trophy. No doubt that his
career is coming to an end, but his All-Star numbers last season shows he’s still got a little left in the tank.
4. Steve Nash (Dallas Mavericks / Phoenix Suns)
Captain Canada has done the most of anyone on this All-Decade list for any player that HAS NOT won a championship. Although
he was already recognized as an All-Star with his buddy Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, he teamed with Mike D’Antoni to re-shape NBA
basketball when he returned for his second-stint in Phoenix. A winner of 2 League MVP Trophies (he arguably could’ve won 3 in a
row), he leads a run-and-gun style that not only produced many regular season wins, but awarded many of his teammates big-
time contracts.
5. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Part of the decade’s best Draft Class (2003), King James has lived up to all the high-school hype – and then some! At 6’8” and
tipping the scales at 250lbs, his blend of skill, speed and power has never been seen before. He’s already won 1 League MVP,
brought one of his team’s to the Finals (2006-07), and he hopes to team with Shaq to bring the Cavs to the promised land.
Experts liken him to the multi-talented Oscar Robertson (who once averaged a triple-double for an entire season), but I think LBJ
is on an even higher level than the Big O. His career stats of 27.6ppg / 6.8 assists / 7.0 reb / 1.7 steals are unreal.
6. Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves / Boston Celtics)
The Big Ticket was the League’s first Highschool-to-Pro star and helped breakdown the barrier for dozens of players in the mid-
90s. Though Commissioner Stern has since integrated a rule to stop the jump, this 6’11” (really 7’1”) do-it-all power forward had
teams revamping their scouting programs. He’s could be considered as this Decade’s Workhorse – logging an incredible
amount of minutes and producing great scoring & rebounding numbers. He’s got 1 League MVP under his belt, but will probably
be best remembered by teaming with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for bringing a championship back to Boston.
7. Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers / Denver Nuggets / Detroit Pistons)
Love him or hate him, AI is the posterboy for Hip-Hop’s influence on professional basketball. Regarded by many as the best little
man ever to play, Iverson single-handedly brought a Sixer team to the Finals back in 2000-01 (actually, that Sixer team had the
Defensive Player of the Year – Dikembe Mutumbo, Sixth Man of the Year – Aron McKie and Coach of the Year – Larry Brown) and
led the NBA in scoring 3 times. Although his style of play has caught up with him over the last three seasons (being traded twice
and recently kicked off the Memphis Grizzlies), I had to acknowledge his accomplishments over the last 10 years.
8. Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks / Phoenix Suns / New Jersey Nets)
It seems like an eternity ago that Jason Kidd picked up Co-Rookie of the Year Honours alongside Grant Hill, but Kidd has
consistently finished among the League Leaders in Assists for the 2000s (finishing first 4 times). His arrival in New Jersey
immediately resulted in two straight trips to the Finals and he’s been named to the All-Defensive Team 8 times over the last 10
years. It would be ludicrous to leave a player of his caliber off this list.
9. Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat)
The Fifth Overall pick in the 2003 Draft, it only took Flash a couple seasons to pick-up a Championship. Teaming with Shaquille
O’Neal, the Marquette product led the Heat to the Promised Land with one of the Greatest Finals Performances of All Time and
earned Finals MVP accolades. He’s led the NBA in scoring once (2008-09) and has been named to the All-NBA Team 4 times
since his rookie campaign.
10. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
Don Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks took a gamble by selecting this product of Germany in the 1998 Entry Draft, but it’s
definitely paid off. The 7’0” Power Forward is a walking mismatch, as he’s been named to the All-NBA Team 7 times – picking up
1 League MVP Trophy in 2007. In addition to his staggering statistics, he’s ushered a new era of highly-skilled big men that pro
scouts have to come to drool over.
Unfortunately, guys like Paul Pierce, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady didn’t make my personal list, but are considered Honorary
Mentions in my books.
Don’t agree with my picks or have a list of your own list? Send it to me at mike@25forlifebasketball.com.
I wonder if making an All-Decade List for Filipino Ball would be worth it haha…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 21, 2009
There’s only two weeks left in 2009 and things have pretty much come to a stop until the New Year. Last week I touched upon our
then-upcoming showdown against the Falcons in Fil-Act. It was a highly-anticipated game, as the Falcons have become a force
over the past couple of years, developing great chemistry and seemingly winning every tournament that we’re not participating in.
The game would also feature the return of Norman Penola, who’s currently enrolled at Ateneo and was coming home for the
Holidays. It would be a good showcase for young talent, as James Forrester and AJ Serjue had a chance to take a break from the
Seneca Sting schedule and play as well.
It was a close game from the tip-off, as nether team was able to garner much of an edge in the opening 10 minutes of the game.
The Falcons were using their drives to the basket to create easy scores under the rim. On the other hand, we were scoring in a
variety of ways, as JP Albano, James and AJ were dropping buckets in both half-court sets and transition. However, the Falcons
were able to stretch their lead to 12 points – as a mixture of ugly turnovers and defensive lapses made us look like a bunch of
elementary school kids rather than 9-time champions.
It was clear that they were feeling pretty nice about their lead, but like a good group of veterans, we were able to weather the
storm and right the ship. We tightened up the defensive intensity and cut into the deficit within a few possessions. Things
definitely got chippy, as Yours Truly picked up a double foul and technical foul in a tussle with Ronald (the Falcons Centre) with
about 10 minutes left in the game. The incident seemed to spark the run, as we settled in the driver’s seat on our way to a 9-point
win.
On the winning side, James Forrester ended up with 23 points (despite a bone-headed missed dunk / technical foul in the
waning minutes of the game) while AJ Serjue chipped in with 22 points of his own. Is it just me, or are these two morphing into a
Filipino basketball version of the high-flying Raptors duo of DeMar Derozan and Sonny Weems haha. The Falcons countered with
Norman Penola’s 19-point effort (not bad for someone who just came off the plane a day before) and 20+ points from Ronald.
We were able to earn the win despite the absence of both JR Manlucu and Geoff Malana, but we did welcome back Jerome Sta.
Maria into the fold after a personal hiatus from competition.
Things are pretty much on hold until the New Year, but given UNC’s Saturday win over Red Barons – it seems like they are our
target next month.
With 2010 just around the corner, there have been a number of Best of… lists being released. The most intriguing to me seems
to be Player of the Decade (NBA) lists, most of which feature a San Antonio Spur high atop the pile. I’m going to work on my own
personal list and I’ll publish it next week. Feel free to send me your Top 10 Players of the 2000s at mike@25forlifebasketball.com.
December 15, 2009
Right now I’m looking out the window, watching the snow come down. The year is coming to an end and this is the time that a lot
of college students come home for the Holidays. It’s a great time to catch up with those guys that have been gone for a while, as
we get to see how much they’ve improved since they’ve been away.
Here’s a quick glimpse of some of the guys that I know are playing collegiately and possibly coming back to the 416/905 for the
Christmas Season:
AJ Mandani
School: Missouri S&T
This Brampton product is in his second year at Missouri S&T. While the Miners currently sit at 3-5 for the 2009-2010 campaign,
AJ leads his team in every major offensive category and remains hopeful about his team’s fortunes. He’s coming home for the
Holidays and I look forward to chatting about his future plans with him. He has his sights set on testing the waters in the PBL in
the near future, so watch out for him.
http://sports.mst.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=707&path=mbball
http://sports.mst.edu/custompages/mbb/2009-10/teamgbg.htm
Norbert Torres
School: De La Salle University (Team B)
The 6’6” tower from Scarborough has been living in the Philippines for well over a year already. Though he hasn’t touched the
floor in a UAAP season yet (he isn’t eligible until 2010), he still remains one of the most highly regarded and versatile big men on
the collegiate scene. Word is that he’ll be part of the RP Smart Gilas Team B squad, which means he’ll get some great coaching
and international experience.
Norman Penola
School: Ateneo (Team B)
This youngster from Ajax has been doing well in his short time in the Philippines. The big-bodied PG has quickly become a
favourite of Coach Norman Black, but unfortunately needs to wait another season before making his UAAP debut in 2010. He’ll
be joining Norbert Torres on RP Smart Gilas Team B, adding to the Canadian flavour of that team. He’s expected to be back on
Saturday (December 19) and plans to join the Falcons in their game against us on Sunday. He vows to avenge their loss against
us in the Philcan Finals last season!
Jon Semira
School: San Sebastian
What a season it was for the former MT Titan and Western Mustang. Jon started for the Golden Stags for much of the season,
even starring in one of the season’s biggest games against JRU. SSC-R went on to face the three-time defending champions
San Beda Red Lions in the Finals, quickly ousting them in two straight games. His focus is now on PBL and preparing for the
next NCAA season, as he looks to take on more PG duties and some of the scoring load as team Scoring Leader Jimbo Aquino
graduates this year. Unfortunately, Jon won’t be making the trip home for the Holidays.
James Forrester
School: Seneca (Toronto)
The highly-touted prospect from Richmond Hill has been donning the Sting jersey for Seneca. So far, so good, as James is
second on his team in scoring – contributing 11.6ppg. However, look for James to improve as the season goes along – as he
continues to learn from Coach Dawkins and his staff on the fly. Though he’s shown flashes of brilliance, it’s also evident that he
has a lot to learn. The exhibition he put on against the team of visiting PBA All-Stars was legendary and has many people across
the pond eagerly waiting for him to put everything together and make the trip back to the Philippines.
AJ Serjue
School: Seneca (Toronto)
This Etobicoke baller flew under the scouting radar, but has been surprising his OCAA competition with some high energy and
playmaking skills. Currently as one of the sparks off Coach Dawkins’ bench, AJ has demonstrated eye-opening passing skills
and as a defensive presence. He still has superlative speed at the collegiate level and uses it to score in bunches. Like James,
he still has a lot to learn about the game, but the 254Life family couldn’t be any prouder.
In Raptors News, Bosh and Co. currently sit at 11-15, coming off a strong win over the always-tough Houston Rockets at the ACC
on Sunday. Hedo Turkoglu finally showed up for a game, recording a season-high 23 points and combining with Bosh for 50
points from the two forward positions. They’re slated to face the Miami Heat tonight and head up to Orlando for what is no doubt a
beatdown from the Magic.
Over the weekend, Minnesota Timerwolves’ Corey Brewer threw in his entry for Dunk of the Year honours – granting Derek Fisher
his One Moment in Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGeaSXxcmw (Poor Derek looked like he was shot out of a canon!)
December 07, 2009
Having spent most of last week in Los Angeles, I was surprised to hear that we were scheduled to face-off against the Barons
this past Sunday (December 06). Originally, we were supposed to play The One, but it was swapped out mid-week for some
reason.
So unlike our games of years past, this year’s Fil-Act Face-Off was without the pre-game hoopla and hype. The Barons are a
perennial league powerhouse, boasting names like Darryl Chopra, Adam and Phil Aglipay, Elvin Etcubanez and Russell Felipe.
They reloaded this season, as their prized rookie from last year Chris T. had a season under his belt, while the highly-coveted
Julian (aka Brandon Jennings) tossed his Durham loyalty to the side and suited up for the Barons.
The scale looked to be tilted in the Barons’ favour, as our team was missing a number of key contributors – including Ryan
Dawinan, Seppe Pompei, James Forrester and AJ Serjue, and not to mention that I was in ragged shape – battling a flu that I
contracted from travelling to LA. However, we were coming off a 50-point win where JP Albano looked to be in peak form.
We took it to them from the start, as we looked inside to JP – trying to exploit his size advantage over Adam Aglipay. He started
piling up the points fast, as he mixed up some inside/outside looks – while finding guys like Kim Tigley and JR Manlucu for easy
baskets inside as well. We held our own on defense, as we kept the Barons’ Post Monster ‘D-Real’ Chopra in check, but the
young Chris T. took capitalized on some offensive rebounds and easy baskets inside. The Barons’ second unit was sparked by
Elvin Etcubanez while Julian made his presence felt quickly with his drives to the lane and outside shooting.
We exerted more of our strength in the second half, as our interior play was just too strong – as JP, Kim and JR continued to pour
in the buckets. The Barons were fading away, only to have their young guns Julian and Chris, and Phil’s hot outside shooting
keep them within striking distance. In the end, it was a 9-point win for us – but the final score made it seem closer than it really
was.
Noting no absentees from the Barons side, we were able to pull off a big win over a league favourite despite missing some of
our important players. Kudos to JP for bringing his A-Game, as it was easy to ride his stellar play to the victory. Some would’ve
liked to have written JP as ‘over-the-hill’, but the Dude is back better than ever. He, JR and Kim all topped the 20-point mark that
game, probably the first time in a LONG time we were able to accomplish something like that.
In NBA News, the Raps are on a two-game winning streak, yet remain a horrible 9-13 on the season. Allen Iverson has re-signed
with the Philadelphia 76ers and will debut against the Denver Nuggets tonight. He was reduced to tears at his press conference
a couple days ago, stating that he just wants a chance to play basketball again. I can’t imagine what it will be like when he finally
realizes that he’s not the same baller anymore. He’s like those boxing champions that don’t know when to stop fighting…except
those guys have years of punches to the head and poor management to blame for their poor decisions. What’s your excuse A.I.?
Aren’t you smart enough to know when enough is enough? Smarten Up!
December 1, 2009
Sorry for being AWOL for a few weeks, but I got kinda lazy and didn’t have much to blog about anyway.
It was my birthday last week (November 26), as I joined the ’30 is the new 20’ club. Hitting the BIG 3-0 is a pretty big milestone in
life and I’m glad that I had a chance to celebrate it with so many of my close friends and family. I have too much for which to be
thankful and I would consider myself extremely lucky if my next 30 years will be just as great. My new goal is to slam on someone
just to be one of the first Filipinos in his 30s to be dunking in games haha.
Fil-Act started two weekends ago and it’s got a number of people riled up for another season of ball. I know JP Albano is extra
amped about this year, as he’s back to 100% and excited about the new additions to our squad. Seppe Pompei, Kim Tigley and
Geoff Malana have all played with us at one time or another, and I know that they will fit in to our system just fine. They’re all high-
IQ players and anytime you can have smart players on the floor, you give yourself a chance to win the game.
Having come off a 50-point (98-48) win over Durham last Sunday, it’s hard for me to think we won’t win another championship
this year. When at full strength with James Forrester and AJ Serjue playing, we’ve got plenty of size and athleticism that most
teams in the league won’t be able to match-up with. We once fielded a lineup of Geoff, AJ, James, Kim and Seppe…that’s a lot of
height on the court (relatively speaking anyways). Plus, we had Ryan Dawinan, JR Manlucu, Jeremiah Sta. Maria, JP and myself
sitting on the bench. I don’t say this too much, but there’s not a lot of holes in our lineup. Lest we forget Jerome Sta. Maria, who
has personally assured me that he’s been training on his own and back on top of his game.
I know there are a couple teams in the Fil-Act that are ready to take our crown: the Barons, Uncoachables, Saints and I think the
Falcons put in a team this year too. We’re chasing our 10th League Championship in 11 years this season, a feat that no other
team can ever claim. A decade worth of championships would be great, but I don’t know if winning a Fil-Act championship is
something that really drives me anymore. Toronto ball will always be Toronto ball – which is great, but I think I’ve really shifted my
focus to bigger picture things in the past 12-24 months. I love travelling to out-of-town tournaments to rep Toronto ball against
other competition; organizing events and tournaments are really fun (I’d like to run my own league soon); while helping younger
players get connected to schools and teams in the Philippines is a great challenge too. Its these kind of projects that keep me
going in this scene and I look forward to the future when I can really put my own stamp on Filipino / Asian ball. Of course, I’d love
to get another one or two Labour Day Tournament championships under my belt before I call it a wrap too ;-)
In NBA News:
• The Raptors are crap and look destined to be another floormat for teams to stomp on this season. It’s hard to imagine that
having 9 new faces on the team won’t change the losing culture, something that Bosh, Bargnani and Calderon have to take
blame for…
• Pau Gasol is back and the Lakers are rolling. Time is ticking on Bynum’s knee though – I’m sure it’ll give out sometime before
the All-Star break as it does every season.
• Brandon Jennings continues to be a rookie sensation. JP calls him the next Damon Stoudamire, but I see a lot of Nick Van Exel
in him too. The Bucks are winning too – which is the major statistic to measure his impact.
• Monta Ellis has been going off lately
• Is Stephen Jackson really the truth? His winning impact on the Bobcats is clearly evident. With Captain Jack and Gerald
Wallace occupying the wings, they’ll give opposing swingmen fits on the defensive end.
• Allen Iverson should retire and go to a psychiatrist to get his mind right. Dude is straight foolish.
November 9, 2009
Nothing much happened last week basketball-wise, but it was still a pretty busy week for me. My brother came in from the
Philippines last Saturday just after our exhibition game against the ex-PBA All-Stars. Fresh off winning the Season 85 NCAA
Championship in the Philippines, he only had a little over a week to kill before his first PBL season starts. Fortunately, the timing
coincided with a family wedding scheduled for this past Saturday, November 7 (Congrats Arnold & Jaymee!) – so his quick visit
was perfectly timed.
We had a couple events to welcome him back, including a family dinner to unveil him at the house (we didn’t tell anyone he was
coming) and a big gathering mid-week at Wegz Stadium Bar. If you’re from the GTA and haven’t checked out this place, you’re
missing out on the biggest and baddest Sports Bar in the Toronto area. Visit www.wegz.com for more information. We were able
to watch the Raptors pull off a rare win against the Detroit Pistons (sans Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince) and the New
York Yankees clinch the World Series with a Game 6 win over the Phillies. Thanks to everyone that came out…
The NBA season is three weeks in and there are a few storylines that have popped up already:
- It didn’t take Allen Iverson long to wear his welcome out in Memphis. He started complaining about playing time after his
FIRST game (which he came off the bench) and was granted a personal leave after his SECOND game. What is this guy’s
problem? Dude should really just retire before he makes a bigger fool of himself. He’s lost a couple steps and refuses to
take on a supporting role on a bad team. I never knew why people looked up to Iverson – his glory days were definitely the
Dark Era of the NBA.
- Elton Brand - one of my pre-season picks as Comeback Player of the Year – looks absolutely horrid so far. He’s looks like
a bad version of Marreese Speights right now and doesn’t even look like he belongs in the League.
- Al Jefferson has failed to record more than 10 rebounds in a game yet.
- Surprising to many, the Blazers’ Andre Miller and Brandon Roy have failed to demonstrate any kind of chemistry on the
court together.
- Andrea Bargnani is the second-best Center in the League. Is the combo of Bargs and Bosh the Best 5 & 4 in the NBA???
- The Orlando Magic have come back to Earth, as the losses of Rashard Lewis (suspension), Vince Carter (injury) and
Mickael Pietrus (injury) are catching up to them.
- The Phoenix Suns are surprising a lot of people right now – Nash, Richardson, Amare and CHANNING FRYE. Really???
- The Bucks’ Brandon Jennings is the early pick for Rookie of the Year – can someone tell him to get rid of the Bosh-like
twists please?
- Chris Bosh and Marquis Daniels have the worst hair in the L. Can David Stern please institute a rule that prohibits teams
for having any players bearing any likeness to the Predator? Someone call Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers to
hunt them down!
- I’d like to put out an APB on Sonny Weems – Where are you???
- How is the Shaq experiment going to pan out in Cleveland? LeBron won’t be able to handle this mediocrity much longer…
November 2, 2009
First off, I can’t believe it’s NOVEMBER already! This year is passing by very quickly and it seems like 2010 is just around the
corner.
The T-Dot Cream of the Crop Tournament concluded this weekend, as 25-for-Life faced off against our perennial rivals the
Barons with bragging rights and the right to face off against the ex-PBA All Stars on the line. The scene shifted to unfamiliar
grounds – the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. This was by far the largest venue we’ve played in and the facility was top notch!
We looked to push the tempo and turn up the defensive intensity from tip-off and it definitely paid off. In the end, the Barons didn’t
have the horses to keep up with us and we cruised to a double-digit win.
We had a couple hours off before our exhibition match-up against the ex-PBA All-Stars, as a couple East vs West All-Star games
(22-and-under & 17-and-under) were scheduled to showcase the talent pool of Toronto’s youth. We tried to squeeze James
Forrester in there to play in the 22-and-under game, but unfortunately the organizers didn’t allow it.
The event, which was produced by Glenn Ventura of Macy’s Distribution and organized by CKATT, brought a team of Filipino
basketball legends to Toronto. The roster of Benjie Paras, Jerry Codinera, Gerry Esplana, Jun Limpot, Ed Cordero, Noli Locsin,
Joey Santa Maria, Bonnel Balingit, Bong Alvarez, and legends Mon Fernandez and Atoy Co with the San Beda College coach
Bonnie Garcia. Toronto was the second stop on their tour, as they had just played a physical game in Winnipeg (which they had
won). Calgary and Vancouver were the other cities on their jam-packed schedule.
Even though it was ‘just’ an exhibition game, we were determined to come out on top – as we wanted to protect home court and
our pride as Toronto’s Best. We knew the PBAers would be jetlagged and we would be able to push the tempo to get some easy
baskets. Their obvious size advantage would get them some easy baskets on our end, but we knew they wouldn’t be able to last
40 minutes of trading baskets.
The first quarter could easily be named the James Forrester show, as the youngest player on the court had a number of dunks
that electrified the crowd – including a one-handed put-back that brought the house down. Behind some sharp-shooting from JR
Manlucu and Jeremiah Sta. Maria, we rode the momentum of a buzzer-beating dunk by Yours Truly (my first in-game dunk in
years haha) to take a slight lead into the second half.
After some halftime entertainment – including an impromptu “Ocho Ocho” performance by the MASSIVE (6’9” / 300lb) Bonnel
Balingit – we had all but lost any momentum we had built in the first half. Our opponents seemed a lot more eager to get down to
business, as Noli “The Tank” Locsin and Bong “Mr. Excitement” Alvarez got more aggressive on the offensive end and were
scoring from the field and the charity stripe. However, we refused to back down as JR and Jeremiah continued to hit big three-
pointers and our bend-but-don’t-break defense came up with key stops down the stretch. The game wasn’t decided until our last
possession, when we were able to execute a play to get Jeremiah an open three-pointer at the top of the key – which he promptly
drilled like the stone-cold assassin he’s been all his career – to put us up by three. The All-Stars weren’t able to get a shot up at
the end of the game, giving 25-for-Life the hard-earned win.
Congratulations to Macy’s Distribution and CKATT for putting on a great event. We had a lot of fun participating in the event and I
look forward to possibly working with Glenn on other projects in the future.
October 27, 2009
It’s only a few days until the conclusion of the T-Dot Cream of the Crop tournament. The buzz is growing as 25-for-Life and
Barons battle it out one more time to decide who are the Kings of the 416/905. As I mentioned before, the winner goes on to face
a team of former PBA Superstars in an exhibition game.
Again, the ONLY way you can get to see the games is buying tickets from Ticketmaster. Buy online by visiting www.ticketmaster.
ca and search for PBA ALL STARS – or you can paste this link into your browser: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Pba-All-Stars-
tickets/artist/1368172
Congratulations to my bro and the San Sebastian Golden Stags for winning the NCAA Championship last Saturday. They beat
the three-time defending champions San Beda Red Lions in two straight games before a packed house at the Araneta Coliseum
in Manila. I remember watching this group of guys practice and play in the off-season leagues like Fil-Oil Flying V and Nike
Summer League when I was visiting my brother back in April. I’ll be the first to tell you that they didn’t look like a serious
contender at that time. However, Coach Ato Augustin was able to get these guys on the same page when it counted and – barring
a rough patch of games at the end of the season – dominated their competition. Jon’s excited about getting his CHAMPIONSHIP
RING and he can add it to his OFSAA “AAAA” medal that he won with his crew at Mother Teresa a few years ago. To James
Forrester – you could’ve had a ring on your finger too homey!!! Hahaha.
The 2009-2010 NBA Season starts tonight! With so many SUPER TEAMS built to win the championship, it’s anyone’s guess as
to who will be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the year. Here are my pre-season favourites for the awards:
MVP: LeBron James
Defensive POY: Dwight Howard (just because guards and forwards like Ron Artest and Chris Paul rarely get defensive
credit)
Most Improved: Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Brandon Roy (does it count when players make the jump from stars to
SUPERstars?)
Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans (only if Blake Griffin is out more than 6 weeks with his patella cap injury)
Sixth Man of the Year: Leandro Barbosa (Alvin Gentry will let him go wild), Jamal Crawford
Comeback Player: Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand
Coach of the Year: Flip Saunders
Team of the Year: Los Angeles Lakers – expect them to challenge for the 72-win record this season
On to the hometown Raptors – what’s the deal with these guys? There’s only three hold-overs from last year’s team – Chris
Bosh, Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani – but pre-season hasn’t shown off the new grit that this squad is supposed to have.
Hedo seems like a good fit at the Point Forward position and DeMar Derozan is an extremely athletic wingman with a good work
ethic. Not to mention, Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson look like good energy guys off the bench. We’ll see how they do against
King James and Shaq in the season opener tomorrow. I’m predicting that Lebron will go off for 30pts in three quarters of play,
with Shaq getting limited time because it’s the second in a back-to-back. Cavs by 18.
BTW, I coming off a Bachelor Party trip to Chicago last weekend. All I have to say is that Al’s Beef (Italian Beef Sandwiches) is the
best kept secret in the Windy City. I’ve been to Chicago dozens of times and haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying an authentic Al’
s sandwich until Sunday. AMAZING! Better than Pat’s, Geno’s or Jim’s cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. Quite possibly, the greatest
sandwich on the planet. And that’s without adding cheese on it!!!
Well that’s it for now. I’ll be back with a full report on the PBA All Star event next week.
October 19, 2009
What a weekend! I’m still in recovery mode from the first-ever TDot Cream of the Crop Tournament, but I’m glad to say that
everything went off without a hitch. Let me preface this with the fact that none of this wouldn’t be possible without the support from
all the teams, volunteers, the 25-for-Life family, Philcan and Macy’s Distribution.
It’s hard to imagine an 8-team, two-venue, 18-game tournament could be organized in literally two weeks - but everything
seemed to come together like a perfect storm. On top of all that, the basketball action was on-point! All the teams were evenly
matched, resulting in intense games and nail-biting finishes. I can’t recall another tournament with so many close games – and I’
ve been playing in tournaments since I was 10 years old haha.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (*PLAYERS TO WATCH*)
- 25-for-Life: James Forrester, JR Manlucu
- Barons: Darryl “D-Real” Chopra, Elvin Etcubanez
- Falcons: Ronald “Silent Assassin”, Chris Bongolan
- Durham x Uncoachables x Lakan (D.U.L.): Backcourt of J-Nep x Clint x Julian
- Angiels – Ariel (former MBA star)
- Vaughan – Backcourt of CJ and Mike
- All-In – Ochinang trio, John Mandani
- The One – Mark Guiam, Martin Lim
DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• The University of Toronto at Mississauga venue is a first class facility. The courts are wide open, there is ample seating
available for both courts and there’s a food court located within the facilities. Apart from some technical issues with the
scoreboards first thing in the morning, all was smooth thanks to our volunteer team.
• Despite the clutch shooting from Phil Aglipay, a determined All-In team played the role of giant killers, taking down a new-look
25-for-Life in Overtime.
• Ken Billones’ The One squad brought out some legendary names (including Martin Lim, JP Patricio and Mark Guiam) to take
down an upstart Vaughan squad and en route to finishing as the 3rd seed in their pool.
• Falcons finishing the day as the only undefeated team in pool play, earning them top seed in their pool.
• 25-for-Life squeezing out a 2 point win against Durham (the Durham x Lakan x Uncoachables collabo effort – D.U.L.) which
gave 254L the #2 seed and bumping Durham down to #4 and a date w/ Falcons in Sunday’s quarterfinals.
• All-In eeks past Angiels thanks to a late-game whistle which awarded them free throws. All-In finishes as top seed in their pool,
Angiels bumped down to #3.
DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• The basketball action shifted to the cozy and more familiar venue - Mother Teresa High School in Scarborough.
Quarterfinals Results
• 25-for-Life (2) seemed determined to shake off the lackluster performance from Saturday and came out with guns blazing
against the The One (3) team. Despite some inspired play from swingman Mark Guiam, 254L had too much firepower. Final
Score: 254L: 72, The One: 39.
• Thanks to the recruiting mastery of RJ Nepomuceno, a face-lifted version of Barons (2) rides the hot shooting of Niko Carino
(fresh off from visiting the Coach Calipari’s Wildcats at the University of Kentucky) to get past the always-physical Angiels (3).
Final Score: Barons: 55, Angiels 49.
• In a surprising 1 vs 4 match-up, the Falcons (1) failed to get past the D.U.L. (4) team for a second-straight week. Look for this
new rivalry to heat up moving forward! Final Score: Falcons 41, D.U.L. 49.
• All-In (1) had their tournament hopes dashed by a re-focused Vaughan (4) squad led by CJ Isit and welcomed the legendary
Gilbert Francisco back into the fold. Final Score: All-In 40, Vaughan: 46.
Semifinals Results
• In a highly-anticipated match-up, 254L took on a red-hot D.U.L. squad that had championship aspirations. 254L came out to a
hot start, despite Phil Aglipay, JR Manlucu and AJ Serjue arriving late due to undisclosed reasons (Snowboard show AHEM!).
However, D.U.L. weathered the storm and came back in the second half. In the end, there was no answer for JR Manlucu inside,
while Ali Nizam and Ryan Dawinan put the game on ice with perfect free throw shooting. Word to the D.U.L. coaching staff of
George and Scruff – KEEP THIS TEAM TOGETHER! Final Score: 254L 61, D.U.L. 54.
• In what was probably the best game of the tournament, Vaughan looked to vanquish their winless Saturday by taking out the
Barons and earning a trip to the Big Show. It went back and forth all game, with the backcourt of CJ and Mike giving the Barons’
Jeff Cruz (Legend!), Chris and Elvin all they could handle. But it was the presence of Darryl “D-Real” Chopra that won the game
for the Barons, as he spun baseline and converted on a short shot from the block to seal the game with one second left. Final
Score: Barons 72, Vaughan 71.
CHAMPIONSHIP
254L and Barons will square off for city Bragging Rights on October 31 at 11:00am at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. The
winner of the Cream of the Crop Tournament will play against a crop of 12 ex-PBA superstars in an exhibition game at 3:00pm
later that day.
Come out and check out all the festivities – Cream of the Crop Finals, PBA Basketball Clinic, 20-and-under All-Star Game, and
Toronto’s Best vs. ex-PBA All Stars Exhibition Game!!!
Log on to www.ticketmaster.ca and search for “PBA All Stars” or just click here: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Pba-All-Stars-
tickets/artist/1368172
Again, thanks to all that supported the cause and came out to check out the first-ever TDot Cream of the Crop Tournament. The
weekend definitely showed me that Toronto ball is as healthy as ever and shows a lot of promise for years to come. The event
was a raging success and we hope to throw it again next year.
October 13, 2009
Well folks, your Boy is Back. I apologize for being MIA for the past few weeks, but I took a self-imposed hiatus due to a bunch of
things being up in the air. We were in limbo about supporting a particular event and I didn’t want to make a post about it without
being 100% sure.
The good news is that after weeks of deliberation, we finally have the green light.
Check it out:
T-DOT’S CREAM OF THE CROP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
It’s finally here - a two-day tournament between the best Filipino ballers in the T-Dot. In conjunction with MACY’S
DISTRIBUTION in Vancouver, BC and the PhilCan Athletic Group, 25-for-Life is gathering EIGHT of the 416/905’s best teams to
battle for the right to represent the city of TORONTO against a group of ex-PBA professionals from the Philippines.
DETAILS
Date: October 17-18 & 31st
Venues: University of Toronto Mississauga Campus (October 17)
Mother Teresa Scarborough (October 18)
Hershey Centre Mississauga (October 31 – Finals and Exhibition Game)
Cost: $375
PROMO: Each team will receive 10 tickets (valued at $35.00 each) to the Main Event on October 31 at the Hershey
Centre. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go towards the Red Cross’ efforts to help the victims of flooding
caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy in the Philippines. Players are asked to help sell as many tickets as possible,
as proceeds go towards a great cause close to our hearts.
Winning Team will receive a set of Uniforms (12) to wear in the Main Event against the PBA Pros!
Format: 3 Games of Pool Play & 1 Playoff Game Guaranteed – 4 GAMES TOTAL!
Pool Play – Saturday (UTM Venue)
Playoffs (up to Semi-Finals) – Sunday (MT Venue)
Finals – Saturday, October 31 (Hershey Centre Venue)
This is the first event of its kind, as not only are players competing for bragging rights, but for a chance to play against some of
the best players in PBA history – no joke. For example, ALVIN PATRIMONIO – who is on the ex-PBA team roster – is listed at 6’4”,
a FOUR-TIME PBA MVP and has been named to the PBA Mythical Five (First Team All-Star) and amazing TEN TIMES!!! When else
would you be able to play against a player of this caliber?
In addition to bringing the best ballers together, we’re using this event as a way to bring the Filipino-Canadian Community
together as a fund-raiser for the victims of the Ondoy disaster back in the Philippines through the Canadian Red Cross (www.
redcross.ca). A portion of the ticket sales for the main event at the Hershey Centre on October 31 will go towards disaster relief,
as I’m sure we have relatives or know of people that have been affected by the storm back home. This is the perfect opportunity to
give back to our less-than-fortunate brethren, so let’s do our best to make this event a success.
Breakdown of Invited Teams:
• 25-for-Life
Multiple-time Philcan, Fil-Act and MPAA champions. Not much needs to be said that hasn’t been already. When clicking on all-
cylinders, this team has a legit scoring threat at every position and plays suffocating defense on the other end. Lack of practice
and conditioning may be a factor however, so now is as good as a time as ever for others to snatch the title of ‘Toronto’s Best’
from their grasps.
• Red Barons
This crew has long-been repping for the 416 in the PIBNA Intercity tournament every Labour Day weekend. A consistent
powerhouse in Fil-Act, “Ari”-J Nepomuceno has high hopes that his Barons will be beating up on the ex-PBA guys come October
31. Watch out for Darryl “D-Real” Chopra manning the middle, as he’s definitely one of the best Big Men in the city.
• Falcons
The squad has been silently building a strong resume as one of the top teams in Toronto over the last 3 years. This year has
been good for the Falcons, as they won the Mabuhay Cup tournament over the summer and finished the 2009 PhilCan season
as the Top Seed / Regular Season Champs. Look out for Ronald (the Silent Assassin), Allan Garcia and Teddy Vicente as the
team’s key contributors.
• Durham/Lakan/UNC
Fresh off a surprising Turkey Ball tournament win last weekend, the Lakan/UNC connection is flying high and is considered as
one of the most-feared teams in the city. Now combining with Durham, expect a team that will be deeper than most – comprising
of young legs that are willing to push the tempo for 40 minutes a game. Floor General and former Durham College star Jason
Nepomuceno and the much-heralded Matthew Wright headline this new team that hopes to shock the world one more time. Will
a Scruff x J-Nep x G. Lalata collaboration equal success this time around?
• All-In
Most members of this team call Brampton home, so let’s give these guys the nickname of the ‘Bovaird Bullies’. They’ve been
playing together for a long time and their chemistry is evident through their signature full-court trap defense and fluid motion
offense. Allan Ochinang quarterback’s an offensive arsenal full of long-range bombers.
• Vaughan
Another team on the cusp of success is this group of youngsters from Vaughan. Highlighted by very heady play from their
backcourt of Mike and CJ Isit (from OFSAA Powerhouse Vaughan HS), this squad gave the Falcons a scare in the Turkey Ball
semifinals before a couple late-minute miscues cost them the game. Coach Duane Pedro isn’t new to the big game, so don’t be
surprised if Vaughan pulls off a number of wins over more favoured teams.
• Richmond Hill Toyota
Wondering why Richmond Hill Toyota is here? Well apart from being Fil-Act Champions umpteen times, there is no other team in
the tournament that can match up with this squad’s size and experience. Boasting a pair of former professional ballers (including
the 6’5” multi-talented Richard Zhu), solid guard play from Stan Ong leads this team to the W more often than not. Will they have
the legs to keep up with the rest of the teams? I think the question is do the other teams have the size to match up with them?
• Angiels
One of the staples of Toronto Basketball since the early 90s, Ariel Alfonso’s team is famous for their grit and knowledge of the
game. These guys aren’t shy about mixing it up underneath the boards, so expect a physical battle for the full 40 minutes. No
team enjoys playing them – a definite reason why they’re a threat to do some damage in this tournament.
So that’s it for pre-tournament hype for now. This thing was literally put together over the past few days, so there are a couple last
minute details that need to be worked out.
We’re still looking for volunteers to help run the tournament, so please don’t hesitate to contact me at mike@25forlifebasketball.
com to find out how you can help.
I’ll be back with a full run-down next Monday.
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