It’s easy to say that basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, beloved by so many who love the high flying, fast-paced, and beautiful nature of the game. Countries from all over the world have created their own amateur and professional associations to help spread and entertain the sport to as many people as possible. The NBA being the largest and most impactful out of the many basketball associations in the world has connected our own country in incredible ways and has even helped the United States connect with other parts of the world. Every year, the NBA brings in more and more foreign players with amazing talents and abilities to showcase to the rest of the world. The majority of these players originate from countries in Europe such as Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Serbia, and many more.
Although Europe is a hotspot for NBA talent type players, Asia also produces many skillful players. The game of basketball is extremely popular in Asian countries, but there is something that is extremely unique about their communities that make it so much more different than others around the world. Countries tend to lack in the extreme passion and love they hold to the game, something that the Asian basketball community loves to express and show. The country that exemplifies this the most would definitely be the Philippines, even becoming so known around the world that people have made it into a stereotype that Filipinos love basketball. However, when we look at the Filipino interests and culture all around the world, it makes us wonder if it’s even a stereotype anymore but actually a potential fact.
People in the Philippines love the game so much that they are willing to play in bare flip-flops, with nothing to protect their feet and no ankle support to save their ligaments on hard concrete or dirt “courts.” Even the most famous Filipino to ever walk the planet, Manny Pacquiao, enjoys and is extremely skilled at basketball and it isn’t even his actual sport. He is easily one of the greatest boxers to ever live and yet he is able to share a deep passion and love for the game. To add onto that, the population of the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors fans are built up by a vast amount of Filipinos. Just think about it for a second… have you ever met a Filipino who wasn’t a Lakers or Warriors fan? You haven’t! And that’s why, with citizens of the Philippines playing basketball with absolutely no support to their lower body, Manny dropping triple-doubles in Filipino celebrity all-star games, and half of Lakers and Warriors fan base being Filipino, we can clearly understand that Filipinos do actually love basketball!
The Filipino ethnicity has become one of the most common Asian ethnicities in America, allowing Filipino-Americans (FIL-AMs) to be surrounded by basketball even more as the NBA is located here in America and basketball is such a large part of American culture. Realizing how involved Filipinos are with basketball has sparked a collective idea to bring our culture together in America by using one of our deepest passions.
Many Filipino organizations/associations have created Filipino basketball tournaments where all participating players must be of Filipino ethnicity, thereby combining the love for the game. Chicago native Enrick Balatazar, a.k.a. Coach P, Associations such as the United States Filipino Basketball Association (USFBA) have made it an important “opportunity for FIL-AM basketball players to play against players that look like them.” The USFBA basketball tournament is one of the largest FIL-AM tournaments in the country and has become a staple point of the FIL-AM community coming together to share the culture of the Philippines and their love of basketball. Cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Toronto, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, New York, and more all participate in the USFBA FIL-AM tournament held every Labor Day weekend.
Our community here in the Central Valley has a very large Filipino population with an abundant amount of FIL-AM basketball players. Most of these players attend major middle schools and high schools around our area, holding some of the best FIL-AM talents in the nation. This has allowed us to now bring our local community together for the USFBA tournament, all thanks to Coach P, who brought the idea of a FIL-AM basketball team to the 209. When Coach P arrived in the Central Valley, Filipino, FIL-AM, and American community members in 2022 created our local FIL-AM basketball team, the Central Valley Grind (CVG), located in Manteca. Because of Coach P and our Filipino community members, people like me are able to meet and compete against other FIL-AM basketball players from across the country.
As someone who has been a part of this program for the past 2 years, I am extremely proud to say that CVG has impacted the 209 FIL-AM community in incredible ways. CVG has brought together the best FIL-AM talent in our area, helping us bond with the other FIL-AM players in the 209 over the similarities we all share in our lives. With this, it’s allowed players as young as 11 years old and as old as 47 years old to be a part of a team where they are able to represent their culture and community. For player Jacob Segura from the 17U team, he emphasizes that “it feels like I’m representing more than just myself, which makes the games more prideful.” CVG has connected more than just the players but also the parents and family members of the program as well. Since tournaments are held in major cities like LA and Chicago, families of the teams are able to spend a lot of time together touring the cities and creating friendships with one another, all due to their Filipino ethnic background and their love of basketball.
This collectiveness of the CVG program also feeds into the excitement for our teams competing in the USFBA tournament. This tournament is unlike any other basketball tournament in the country. The crowds are loud, the energy is high, and the games are played at a very high level. You simply just don’t get this type of tournament anywhere else in the world. For someone that has played in AAU tournaments and large high school games, the atmosphere of the USFBA is just so much different than any other basketball environment. Even for Segura, who says, “right when you step into the gym you feel the energy of every game, compared to a regular AAU game where you don’t feel as much energy.”
The reason for this is the intense pride that comes along with playing in the tournament. Every player wants to represent their FIL-AM community in the best way they possibly can. There’s even a parade at the beginning of the tournament that brings in everybody involved with the event to show teams, players, and families a sense of pride in what you are representing during that weekend. Games are so much more competitive and much more intense because you’re not just playing for a team but you’re playing for your country, culture, and community.
But even though the tournament is extremely competitive in and of itself, there are so many unique things about it that make it so much different than anything else that’s involved with basketball. One unique thing about it is the amount and variety of divisions. The divisions are able to accommodate children that are as young as 9, to adults as old as 65! With this wide variety of ages, you are able to witness and see the best talent of each generation of FIL-AM basketball, even having some ex-pros and ex-college players play in the tournament as well. Divisions are also not only categorized by age but also by height, with one division being for players that are 5’10” and under. Another unique aspect of the tournament are the jerseys as well. Every program wants to be represented in the best way possible, so each program designs some of the most unique jerseys you will ever find in the basketball world. The pride of the Philippines and the community of each team is always embedded within the jerseys and showcased on the court.
This tournament means so much to the Filipino community in America because it gives us an opportunity to showcase our love for the game as well as our culture and pride. Coach P says that “the tournament brings cities and other Filipino families together. Long lasting relationships and friendships have been made because of these tournaments.” The USFBA is so much more than a basketball game, but rather, it’s an event where the FIL-AM community is able to come together as one and bond over something that we truly enjoy.
