Of Hoops and Hearts: Feel the Pulse of Filipinos’ Passion for Basketball
Why basketball is more than just a game in the Philippines.
Puso! Puso! Puso!
The basketball arena is filled with these chants as the national team Gilas Pilipinas plays in any international game. “Puso” or heart describes how our basketball players who, almost always, are shorter in height but play the game with so much passion and zeal. And just as passionate and intense are the Filipino crowd watching the game inside the arena and those just glued on their TV sets, radios, and recently, cellular phones.
So how did Filipinos acquire such great love for the game that was invented more than 10,000 kilometers away?
The Rise of Basketball
The introduction of the game to the country was a result of American colonial influence. In the early 1900s, American teachers and soldiers brought basketball to the Philippines, and the sport quickly gained popularity.
After the Philippines became a colony of the United States in the early 20th century, American culture, basketball included, made its way into the Filipino cultural fabric. This strong historical connection with the United States shaped the country's love for the sport. To date, basketball remains the most popular sport in the country.
In the book, Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin’ in Flip-Flops and the Philippines Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball, the author investigated the Philippines’ unique and intense love affair with the game. It showcased how passionate the country is with everything about basketball - from street corners where young kids fashion basketball rings out of scrap materials, to the big leagues such as collegiate tournaments and professional leagues.
NBA superstars are treated like demigods and have a strong following among Filipinos, with legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James leading the way.
Basketball has since become deeply ingrained in Filipino culture and has become more than just a sport. It has become a passion that unites communities across the Philippines. Basketball courts are found everywhere. They are common in many localities, often serving as places where people gather, socialize, and form bonds.
Symbol of Filipino Resilience
The love for basketball in Filipino culture symbolizes resilience and the ability to overcome difficult circumstances. Like many poor Filipinos, basketball embodies the struggle to prevail over life’s challenges.
Whether in small rural towns or large urban centers, Filipinos often play basketball on improvised courts - often in adverse conditions, making do with very limited resources.
A makeshift half-court: a testament to the nation’s undying love for the game. Photo by Iloilo Wanderer
A Unifying Factor
Basketball is often regarded as a unifying factor in the Philippines. A country made up of over 7,000 islands with diverse regional, cultural, and linguistic groups, basketball has been one of the few things that brings Filipinos together.
International basketball competitions involving the national team ignite a collective sense of pride and regardless of region or social status, Filipinos rally behind their national team with so much fervor.
This can also be seen in the fans of professional basketball, collegiate leagues, and even down to the barangay ligas. And whether it’s in rural villages or bustling urban centers, the sport transcends geographical and social boundaries.
The Height Disadvantage
“Basketball is a tall man’s game”, “You cannot teach height” – these are just some of the adages that refer to the importance of height in the game of basketball. Basketball is a sport that often favors height. Filipinos are generally shorter in stature compared to other races.
When one compares the average height of Filipino males at 5’4.25” and the average height of an American male at 5’9”, one can see that Filipinos are already disadvantaged by around 5 inches. In the NBA now, the average height is 6’6.3”.
The relationship between Filipino height and basketball is interesting and speaks to the resilience and adaptability of the Filipino people. What is lacking in height Filipinos make up for with skill, heart, and determination. In many occasions, the Philippine team has overcome such physical challenges.
The Gilas Pilipinas Team – 2023 SEA Games Gold Medalists. Photo by Rocky Padila
In the Olympic Qualifying tournament in 2024, the 37th-ranked Philippines beat world number 6 and host country Latvia which sent the whole Philippines in a frenzy, and the world to take notice of this small Pacific nation. Despite being shorter, Filipinos often exhibit fearless play by competing intensely and showcasing quickness, agility, and basketball intelligence.
Defying Limits
The love for basketball is so deeply embedded in Filipino culture that height is often not seen as a barrier. Basketball is a sport that emphasizes teamwork, hard work and passion - qualities that are highly-regarded in Filipino society. The Filipino basketball culture emphasizes to the young ones to compete regardless of their size.
Physical attributes like height can be overcome by developing other skills and most specially by displaying Puso in competition. Such passion for the game is the same passion that fuels every basketball-loving Filipino to go about their daily lives and face every adversity head-on.