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Giant

By Khairy Alonto

On yesterday's Crossfire on The Starters, the topic of who was the Best Giant in the NBA was tackled in honor of the new HBO Documentary on the legendary Andre the Giant.

Tas Melas went with Arvydas Sabonis and JT Skeets selected Yao Ming. (Skeets won the Crossfire later in the program). I posted this on our Basketball & Kicks Pare Facebook group (click the link if you want to join our conversations!) and asked the community who they thought was the best Giant in the NBA who was at least 7'3" or the same height as the original unicorn Sabas Sabonis.

Of course, this eliminates the ultimate giant IMHO, Shaq, who stands at 7'1". So we got other answers like Mark Eaton (7'4"), Manute Bol (7'7"!) & Ralph Sampson (7'4").

For this contributor though, I believe that the nod for the "Best Giant" has to go to the tower that took his team to the Show. He was loyal to his team and his fan base, and he was an earlier version of Yao Ming’s gameplay. I'm talking about none other than the Dunking Dutchman, Rik Smits.

Smits battled through the best of them in an era when small ball was the anomaly and not the rule. The 7’4” center posted up and hit his sweet outside jumpers & hook shots against the likes of Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, and even the Shaq Attack.

My beloved Knicks and Smits’ Pacers sure had their battles. Remember the 1994 playoff game where Reggie Miller gave Spike Lee the choke? That was the year the Knicks went to the Finals but Smits and the Pacers would get their redemption in 2000. From 1993 to 2000 or up until Smits retired, the Knicks and the Pacers met in the playoffs 6 times!

In that 1999-2000 season where the Pacers beat the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, Rik Smits and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller along with other great players such as Dale Davis, Jalen Rose, Chris Mullin, & Sam Perkins, were under the tutelage of the Basketball Jesus Larry Bird. And they made it to the Show! They then faced Lalaland’s Shaquille O’neal, Kobe Bryant & Phil Jackson for the Larry O’Brien trophy.

One important sidebar that we should all remember is that Rik Smits played through injuries throughout his career. What I remember in that finals with the Lakers was Rik Smits wearing a protective boot on his foot as he played! Had he been healthier or younger, I think it would have been a different outcome. But we all know what happened: the Lakers won.

What most probably didn’t know or forgot was that Rik Smits was considered to be one of Shaq’s greatest competitors. He mentioned this in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum.

"Rik destroyed me every time," O'Neal told Jack McCallum. "Oh, my God. Pick-and-pop, jump hook in the post, I couldn't stop that kid. If it wasn't for his foot problems, I probably [never would] have been able to stop him. When we played them in the [2000] Finals, I had to go back to some old tape.

"I saw that this guy used to kill me, so now that I'm here in the Finals, I got to kill him immediately so he understands this is a different Shaq."

Alas, the most successful Dutch basketball player played his last year in the NBA after that finals. Larry Bird also left the bench to take on a management role in Indiana. Both stayed on a little (or a lot) longer in Indiana where Bird just resigned last year from the front office. Smits, however, stayed in Indiana for almost two decades after retiring but has since moved to Arizona as per his Wikipedia page.

Ring or not, he was one remarkable center IMHO and he could have been better had he not had injuries that plagued him since childhood. He finished his NBA career with 12,871 points, 5,277 rebounds, and 1,111 blocks. Not bad for someone who had to play with a boot on his foot. Not bad at all.

On this #thirstday, let’s remember the 7’4” giant Rik Smits - the Dunking Dutchman who had a thirst for greatness.

***

Khairy Alonto is a civil servant for almost two decades and went to IS, Brent, OB Montessori, De La Salle University, Asian Institute of Management, and University of Asia & the Pacific. He is married to Michelle whom he met in grade school (naks!) and they have three kids. He also loves basketball and the shoe game. Basketball & Kicks Pare is a passion project that was started by three MBAs from AIM (John Lim & LEP founder Mark del Rosario) and we now have close to 10,000 active members in the community.

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So close no matter how far

By Khairy Alonto

Michael Jordan. Hakeem Olajuwon. David Robinson. Isaiah Thomas. These gladiators were among the best of what I feel is the golden age of the NBA: the 1990’s.

Their path was paved by their character, athleticism, dedication, & sportsmanship; by the leadership of their coaches and management; by the love of their friends and family; and by the adoration of their fans. They have that unquenchable thirst for greatness that legends are known for. They share that same thirst with those they battled against. I write this blog to give honor to a few notable thirsty warriors from that era.

Patrick Ewing was a highly-touted college talent from Georgetown and being the first lottery pick of the NBA. He was doing what was expected of him: averaging 20/10, playing defense at the post, and being the emotional leader in New York. After a decade of duking it out in the east with great teams such as the Bulls, Celtics, & Pistons, he finally lead my beloved Knicks to the finals during MJ’s hiatus in 1994 but only to match up against Hakeem and the Rockets. That was a bittersweet finals matchup for me as I admired both players. As a Muslim, I know the challenges of Ramadan. Yet Hakeem played through the fasting observed during the Holy Month and won accolades in the process. Hakeem deservingly won his first ring in a 7-game duel, but I always thought my Knicks would return to the Finals in the near future... which they did in the lockout-shortened season of 1999 but lost again to David Robinson & their rookie of the year, Tim Duncan. It’s tough to be a Knicks fan, but that frustration is for another blog on another day.

Karl Malone is one of the most durable players ever and is second on the scoring record list next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He wouldn’t be on this shortlist as well without his partner in crime: John Stockton.

“Stockton-to-Malone” should be another name for the word “assist”. These guys racked up the stats for sure - the Mailman delivered points and rebounds and his buddy Stockton is the all-time leader in steals and assists (and I doubt anyone will replace him from that). Stockton also played 16 full seasons (I did the math and that is 1,312 games!) a feat that is probably very strange in today’s era where players rest when they feel like it.

These two brought the likes of Greg Ostertag and Byron Russell with them to the NBA finals twice, but twice they went against Michael Jordan. Karl Malone did earn MVP (twice), but their Utah Jazz were unfortunately challenged by arguably the greatest team ever formed.

Shawn Kemp’s career should be remembered for his time in Seattle, and not when it started spiralling downward. The Stockton to his Malone, Gary Payton, eventually won a ring later on with the Heat but their tandem back in the day was a joy to watch. These two could claim that they invented the alley-oop dunk if not reinvented it by adding insult and swag against the dunked-on combatant. Like the Jazz, their Sonics unfortunately met the goat and the Bulls in the finals.

Charles Barkley is probably more well known now for his antics on the Emmy-winning basketball commentary show, Inside the NBA. But he was an MVP. And he did his best to challenge the Pistons, Knicks, Bulls, Celtics in the East before being traded to the West and bring the Pheonix Suns to the Finals. And like the three before him on this blog, he met Michael Jordan in the finals. The power forward was listed as a 6’6” (same height as Jordan), but in reality he was barely 6’4”! At his height, the “round mound of rebound” lead the league in rebounds back in ‘86 against towering centers such as Ewing & Olajuwon using his special technique. He was entertaining on and off the court. And when you talk about the nineties, the Suns-Bulls series was iconic (& definitely deserves its own blog later on).

On #Thirstday, the guys at Basketball & Kicks Pare care to reminisce about teams and players with a “thirst” for greatness.

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***

Khairy Alonto is a civil servant for almost two decades and was educated in IS, Brent, OB Montessori, De La Salle University, Asian Institute of Management, and University of Asia & the Pacific. He is married to Michelle whom he met in grade school (naks!) and they have three kids. He also loves basketball and the shoe game. Basketball & Kicks Pare is a passion project that was started by three MBAs from AIM (John Lim & LEP founder Mark del Rosario) and we now have close to 10,000 active members in the community.

With my son, Miggy, on his moving-up ceremony to Senior High (which I attended and wrote this blog while waiting for our names to be called)

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The Spirit of Sonny Jaworski

By Mark Daniel Chan

Today there was a discussion about Lebron on the B&KP Group. One of the key members of the group said: “With LBJ, there is no middle ground. You either hate him or you love him.” The Philippines has its own equivalent: a gentleman by the name of Robert “Sonny” Jaworski.

I was born in 1981 and my first memories of watching basketball were filled with Jaworski moments. I was a die-hard Ginebra fan back in the day because of the “Big J”, as a lot of people referred to him then. In 1986, I remember seeing a PBA game live for the first time and it was a game between Ginebra and Manila Beer. It was an unforgettable experience, especially as a kid, because the crowd went absolutely bananas every time Jaworski touched the ball.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

There was always something about Jaworski that captured the imagination of the Pinoy crowd. Maybe it was the way he carried himself—confident almost to the point of arrogance. However, he could actually play and he spent a lot of time backing up his demeanor.

Jaworski was, by many accounts, also a poor sport. He once led a “walk out” against a Formula Shell team that gave them the championship and he had a falling out with his Assistant Coach Rino Salazar in the process, who refused to join the Ginebra team in their protest. He also once pointed to an injured Alan Caidic, the perhaps equally legendary sharpshooter and said: “Ano, patay na ba? (Translation: Is he dead yet?).

In spite of all of this, there was something about the Big J that got people like me to root for him every single game. I am not old enough to remember the Toyota-Crispa rivalry but I hear stories from people who played against him that he was always one of the toughest competitors out there. And while he would use some unconventional techniques (to say the least) to gain a winning edge (he would routinely karate chop a player’s forearm to gain access to the ball), his will to win and his passion for the game made him the perennial crowd darling.

“Never Say Die”

The first aspect of Jaworski’s greatness had to be his ability to keep his team emotionally invested even when down by a large margin. This gave rise to the “Never Say Die” (NSD) ethos that has permeated Ginebra culture and Philippine athletic lore. NSD was a thing that fans counted on. This made them stay for all four quarters, regardless how big the lead of the opposition was.

I have actually long questioned the reason for fans cheering on a Filipino basketball team. In the US, teams represent cities and geographical locations that are a source of pride for “hometown” fans. In the PBA and in Philippine Basketball, the teams are named after corporations. It had to take people like Jaworski to take a brand like Ginebra San Miguel and turn it from a hard beverage to something that essentially communicates: “I will never give up.” This speaks to his greatness as a basketball player and as a personality.

The other aspect of NSD was actually carried out by roster selection. Although no one can really prove it, I am convinced that they used to take all the glamor (heartthrob) players (Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa, Jerry Codinera) and put them in Purefoods (Ginebra, Purefoods and San Miguel Beer are all sister teams, part of the same San Miguel conglomerate). They used to take all the highly skilled players (Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Alan Caidic, Yves Dignadice) and put them in San Miguel Beer. They used to take all the people who looked like they were out of shape (The Loyzaga Brothers, Rudy Distrito) and put them in Ginebra, giving the fans players they could really relate with. The team composition meant that the odds were always stacked against Ginebra. But against all odds, they somehow won several championships, the most famous one in 1991 under the name of Anejo Rum 65 (they routinely changed the name of the team to showcase different brands of drink).

“A Yeoman Work Attitude”

The other aspect of Jaworski’s greatness may be reflected by the fact that he was essentially a playing coach for almost two decades. He may not have been the best tactician out there (old Ginebra players still tell stories of how their practices were basically pick up games from 0 to 140, with the losers having to go “lusot” under the winning teams legs…yeah it’s a Pinoy thing), but he was certainly an amazing motivator.

Jaworski in the mid 90s was a late 40s going on early 50s legend of the game who had his son on the team and still played from time to time. The most enjoyable thing for me about watching these mid 90s Ginebra teams was that Jaworski alwas put himself in during a crucial situation, such as when someone had to make a long baseball pass from one end of the court to another (like he would put himself in just to make that long pass with his quarterback like arm and it was the most awesome thing on earth). To be honest, probably only 25% of those passes ended up in the hands of their intended receivers but still, the crowed (WE) loved him for trying.

“A True Leader”

Jaworski also showed his leadership by going with the guys he trusted. He rode with Pido Jarencio for many years and he was repaid with a 1997 championship under the banner of Gordon’s Gin (for some reason they never seemed to win a championship when they were carrying the original Ginebra name in the 90s). He rode with Terry Saldana, who in 1997 was a shell of his former great self and Jaworski was rewarded with the game of Terry Saldana’s life in Game 3 of the 1997 Commissioner’s Cup finals when Saldana filled in for an injured Chris King and defended and rebounded like there was no tomorrow to lead the team to a 3-0 series lead. Jaworski kept the same circle of players: Bal David, Noli Locsin, Vince Hizon, Marlou Aquino, Jayvee Gayoso, and that’s what made him legendary. He stuck with them through thick and thin and empowered them to achieve results beyond their limitations.

The Essence of Jaworski

In the end, Jaworski was really a free spirit. He had the right amount of not giving a “F” mixed in with the right amount of compassion and care for his players. He played with a passion that transcended his skill set, even if he was really already one of the best guards Asia has ever produced (in my humble opinion). And while fans are divided about him because of the poor displays of sportsmanship and the many rough encounters with his peers (some who describe to me in person the pain of being on the receiving end of a perfectly legal Jaworski karate chop to the forearm), Jaworski will always be remembered for making fans care passionately about the game.

In the end, Jaworski’s passion was never lukewarm. It was as red as the flaming color of the Ginebra (and other Gin and Rum products that SMC wanted to showcase) shirt that he wore. From my end, I have always thought that he bears an uncanny resemblance to St. Michael, the archangel who is in the actual logo of Ginebra San Miguel, slaying Lucifer with his sword. This is how I remember Sonny Jaworski: slayer of opponents, crowd favorite, often copied but never duplicated, and a person who made me fall in love with the game of basketball all by himself.

***

Mark Chan has been a Basketball fan since the age of 5. His first exposure to the PBA was when he watched Ginebra San Miguel win a title in 1986 with Michael Hackett and Billy Ray Bates. He has also been a PBA sports agent since 2007, when he represented Rod Nealy of Ginebra San Miguel among other talents in the league. Mark has an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management and is friends with the people who run Basketball & Kicks Pare.

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Magic & Larry (or Larry & Magic)

Circa 1987, I don't remember the month but I'm pretty sure it was before classes started in September in IS.

The lights just got back on from the rolling blackouts. My cousin just brought back a betamax rental: Game 6 of the 1987 NBA Finals.

For some reason, as we watched the game it felt like we had a hundred people in the room watching with us, all sweaty from playing basketball in the afternoon or from the heat of the power outage. There was ice-cold coke, sky flakes & chippy.

A good majority of us watching were shouting for Magic Johnson & his Showtime Lakers and a handful rooted for the Legendary Celtics with, well, Larry Legend.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Who doesn't know Magic? Any player would have tried at least one no-look pass in their lifetime and this guy practically invented it.

Larry Bird. The inventor of the 3-point shot (at least in my mind). Also the inventor of trash talking as far as I can tell.

These two icons brought the NBA to the world before Cable TV landed in the Philippines and even way before the internet went live. They brought more color to the local PBA games. You would see the "never say die" attitude of Ginebra when you watched the finals series of these two. They matched up three times: 1984 (Celtics win), 1985 (Lakers win), and the 1987 finals. Their franchises also met 9 more times without them, but these three series were about Magic & Larry (or Larry & Magic to avoid offending beantown diehards). And 1987 was the last finals that they would duke it out.

I was too young to know at the time, but a Google search here and there tells me that the Lakers had an easier time headed to the finals with a sweep of the Sonics while Boston had a 7-game series against the Detroit Bad Boys.

Among the things I still remember from that Game 6:

one of my cousins noticed that Kareem shaved his head completely, which looked cooler than the balding hairdo

My cousin would point out that Magic had more assists than points, and I would then find it a hard time to comprehend what an assist was (disclaimer: I was barely 7)

The slam dunks and fast breaks

Dennis Johnson (not Larry) would outscore Kareem (not Magic)by scoring the most points, as pointed out by my cousin

The Celtics lost, and Bird was a very good sport

I realized that the two were just as much friends as they were rivals

This was a betamax rental. Aside from The Carebears, The Transformers, He-man, I rented NBA games. There was no cable TV back then and I think we had four local channels. But there I was - a seven-year old kid excitingly watching a replay of an NBA finals as if it was live. And the adults next to me were just as excited! Even if we already knew who won. Imagine that.

We enjoyed the replay because we would be there. We can tell our friends we watched the greatest game (at that time, if not ever). We wouldn't wait for the TV to do a replay on a fast break we wanted to see again; we would just take out the betamax cassette, put it in a rewinder, rewind, take it out, put it back in the player and hit play (imagine the convenience!).

And that is the legacy of Larry & Magic (or Magic & Larry). A kid a million miles away from the US of A got to know about Celtic Pride. Showtime. Magic. Larry. Superstars such as Kareem, Worthy, McHale, & DJ playing secondary roles. I got to see how the game was played at the NBA level and that made me appreciate live PBA games (Ginebra!). Larry & Magic made basketball action-packed. They were superheroes.

I may have outgrown the Carebears, the Transformers, or He-Man, but I'll never outgrow Larry & Magic (or Magic & Larry).

-Khairy Alonto, 3 April 2018

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Weapon of Choice

It was back in the day at our high school of Operation Brotherhood Montessori in Greenhills, when kids would lose their spare change to one of the employees of our school. I, along with other students who played basketball after school while waiting for their ride home, would challenge Manong for three point shots.

We would choose a spot, place our coins on the floor beyond the three point line, and he would do the same. We would do our best and sometimes hit the three. However, Manong, who probably stood a good 5'1", would always hit the three. With a frickin' Hook shot. For most of us, we would challenge him not to win but to see him do it. Sometimes he would hit it from the half court (beat that LaMelo!). We would even have games with the school employees and his hook shot would be the entertaining part of the game (forget winning).

It was his go-to move. As it was also chosen and fully utilized by the all-time great Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

The Sky Hook of Jabbar, and Manong, was amusing because of how efficient yet awkward or unconventional it was when executed. But damn was it efficient. It must take a savant to master it because in the professional level, only Kareem truly embraced it and used it.

Using his towering height and lengthy wingspan to his advantage, the ball would leave Kareem’s right hand 12 feet in the air with his left shoulder practically pushing away any defender who dare attempts to block it. Few have been able to stop it, such as the legendary Wilt Chamberlain by a handful of times, but most have always failed.

Kareem once said "I used it to become the leading scorer in the history of the NBA; there has to be something about it that works."

And it worked really well. Anyone who follows basketball would know that Kareem is the all-time scoring leader. Across 20 seasons in the NBA, Kareem has scored 38,387 points and the active players who may have a shot at chasing that record are Dirk Nowitzki and Lebron James who are now at 6th with 31,091 and 7th with 30,624, respectively. Like a cheat code though, Dirk and Lebron are able to use the three point shot unlike Kareem who played entirely in the post. If we were to count only two-point shots, then Kareem’s scoring record would definitely be an untouchable record for decades and perhaps centuries to come.

On #MVPMonday, and on the first blog post of Basketball & Kicks Pare, this contributor chose to honor the one with the most career points scored, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and his weapon of choice, the unstoppable Sky Hook.

Enjoy the rest of the week, Pare!

-Khairy Alonto, 2 April 2018

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