The Filipino Connection

Like reaching for the cookie jar: Fil-Am Coach Erik Spoelstra
showing the kids the art shooting a basketball.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

August seems to be a month of basketball here in the Philippines. It’s no surprise that this is usually the month NBA players would drop by the country to promote their latest kicks. Not for Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra though. He returned to Manila to help spread the word on good health, fitness & wellness, and the Pinoys favorite sport – basketball.

A couple of weeks ago, the NBA and NBA Cares (in partnership with Gatorade) brought the NBA FIT Program – a first of it’s kind in the Philippines – a week long fitness event helmed by the Heat’s Fil-Am coach with his Assistant Coach Dave Fizdale and Jama Mahlalela (Toronto Raptors). They held a series of clinics on ways to keeping fit and having a healthy lifestyle not just playing basketball, of course – a major bonus in the event. “It’s a real pleasure to be here this week for NBA FIT. I’ve been part of the NBA FIT Team for half a year – we’re promoting a healthy lifestyle, exercise not just for basketball but also eating right, making healthy choices,” says the Fil-Am coach.

It’s not the first time for me check out his clinics. In 2009, I was able to cover his training camp exclusively for coaches (it was a “for media only” event, by the way) but I didn’t attend the rest of clinics at the time due to health reasons. I did learn a lot from his camp even by just sitting on the sidelines taking down notes and observing. This year is perhaps the best one for me yet.

The first 2-days of the event was held at the SM North Edsa Annex where people of all ages participated in fitness and wellness activities like the Fitness Challenge, DDS (Dribble, Dish and Swish), and Hip-hop workouts just to name a few. Coach Spo had a lot of fun interacting with the kids in the Nutrition Seminar and basketball clinics.

Triple Threat: Coach Spo, Dave Fizdale and Jama Mahlalela teaches the basics of basketball.
(Photo by Roy Afable)

In day 3 of his Philippine visit, he did some charity work in a boys’ orphanage in Marikina – it was a part of the NBA cares program. He held a basketball clinic there and gave away some Miami Heat stuff to the kids.

Miami Heat Assistant Coach Dave Fizdale having some fun with DLSU fans.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)


It was FEU (Far Eastern University) and DLSU’s (De La Salle University) turn for some NBA FIT love in day 4. I didn’t go to FEU at the time for some reason (I have no clue how to commute going to that school from where I live) but I was definitely at Green Archer country – albeit getting there late. Had an awesome time there and it’s actually my first time to go to DLSU’s campus. Students joined the festivities and there was this girl that really impressed Coach Spo and the rest of the coaches during the basketball clinic. They had this free throw shooting contest just for kicks there – it was more like a DLSU girls vs. guys kind of thing. When it came down to a one on one showdown, the last remaining members of the guys and girls started to heat up. This girl was making all the shots while the guy was trying to catch up with the score. When it was all tied up, the pressure was on. Both had two shots each. The girl went first but only made one of two shots. Then it was the guy’s turn, pressure and all, he made both shots won one for the guys. That was epic.

A lucky DLSU student gets his green shirt signed by Coach Spo.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

Wednesday, day 5th of the event was held at the Araneta Coliseum – the mecca of Philippine Sports (I really had to say that just because) – Coach Spo held a 1-day special basketball camp for Select UAAP Players and Women’s Philippine Basketball Team. It was a “for media only” event” and I was lucky enough to get in and cover the camp -- that made it special for me. Many thanks to the NBA FIT organizers: Ms. Tessa, Sir Kalvin and Sir Reli for giving me the rare opportunity to cover the events at DLSU and Araneta Coliseum. Not a lot freelance writers like get to have a chance to do coverage on NBA events here in the Philippines.


The players that attended the camp got a taste of what it’s like to train in the NBA. The first agenda in the basketball camp was the art of communication. What a challenge it was to teach players the importance communicating with your teammates. The Miami Heat coach had a lot to say about the topic, “communication is critical – it’s something you have to work on everyday with your team, with young players – it doesn’t come natural. It really doesn’t. It’s no different here in the Philippines as it is in the States. In the States, we always have to get mad, fight – we always encourage our players to communicate. It’s something we can’t do quietly. If we don’t, we’d be playing at a lesser level.”

Coach Spo demonstrates the right form of a running shot.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

Translation: they ain’t comfortable with each other and they just too quiet. I don’t blame Coach Fizdale having the same observation as Coach Spo. It’s like, the team won’t work as one if the they don’t talk to each other. “They are afraid to talk to each other and that’s the most important thing in basketball. If you have to be able to communicate from teammate to teammate, from coach to player and player to coach – Right now, they are shy about correcting each other and they have to be willing to do that. They also have to be willing to accept criticism from teammates and coaches. That’s the only thing that I see is a barrier for them. Once they get comfortable with communicating to each other, they’d be a very, very good team,” Coach Fizdale explained.

He can't hear you: Coach Fizdale tells his boys to communicate.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

Yes, we Filipinos are shy sometimes. I have to admit that but both coaches do have a point. Since he (Dave Fizdale) and Coach Spo have been with the Miami Heat for a long time – they’re the best of friends actually – Coach Fizdale told a story on how the Fil-Am coach would find ways on how to work as a team through the power communication. “I believe there was Miami, Coach Spoelstra is very about good at this. We do a lot of team building exercises, where they have to work together in different places. Like one time when we first got the job in Miami, he did a thing where they have to cook together and they have to communicate on who was doing what. Am I cooking the steak, am I cooking the balut – no balut, obviously – but they had to talk to each other. He does a lot of things where they have to communicate before they ever get on the court. Our guys when they’re not on the court, they talk all day. We can’t get ‘em to shut up – in the bus, in the locker room – they just talk, talk, talk. Once they get on the court, you just have to keep reinforcing the habit of communicating to each other as much as possible,” a very candid Coach Fizdale recalls.


Well, if it works for the Miami Heat then it could work to Philippine basketball, right? I’m sure not only the players in the camp that learned so much from Coach Spo but also the UAAP and PBA coaches that were also in attendance. Ateneo Coach Norman Black was there to assist Coach Fizdale and Jama in teaching some moves to the bigs of the UAAP on the other end of the court. Coach Spo handled the ball handlers and shooters giving them some lessons how to be an NBA guard 101 (he was point a point guard during his playing days in college and overseas).

"You guys gotta focus," says Coach Spo.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

There were some hydration tests and seminar for the players in the camp conducted by the folks from Gatorade. Coach Spo mentioned in each of the hydration clinics on how Dwyane Wade would get cramps in crucial minutes of the fourth quarter due to lack of fluids – he’d sweat a lot and would change 3 sets of jerseys each game. I did notice that predicament on D-Wade during rookie season with the Miami Heat, I believe. Dude was soaking wet all over his jersey, there were he didn’t play mostly in the 2nd half due to those cramps that he had.

And you know what? Coach Fizdale seconded D-Wade’s performance dilemma of sorts. It’s not only the coaches’ job to give them advice on hydration but also the trainers. “Our training staff does a very good job of constantly giving them Gatorade, water, a lot of stretch, a lot of nutrition tips long before they ever get to the court. A lot of our players hire their own chef because they have are prepared before they ever play – with the food they eat, with the hydration. Because if they’re not – like Dwyane Wade, he had a very bad body, he had this habit of catching cramps – because he never drinks Gatorade, he never drinks water. When water would come around and his body would start to stock up. We had to make him understand the importance of staying hydrated.”

Coach Spo organizes his players for the next drill.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

That sure was a lot of information I got from the camp. So glad I was there.

As much as I wanted to go out of town, I just wasn’t up to it. I suffered back spasms after my coverage at DLSU and Araneta Coliseum. It was the last day of Coach Spo’s Philippine visit. It was the day the Fil-Am coach paid a visit to San Pablo, Laguna – the hometown of his mother. It was yet another leg of the NBA FIT program. Not only did he have the chance to show some love to his mom’s birth place but also trace his roots. He visited a hospital at San Pablo as another charity work for NBA Cares. I’m sure Coach Spo got some overwhelming love and support from the folks of San Pablo. It’s not everyday that an NBA coach would come visit their town. That was indeed the icing in the cake for the Miami Heat Coach’s final day here in the Philippines.


Coach Spo and his Assistant Coach Dave Fizdale returned to the United States the next day to prepare the biggest names in the NBA today – LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, for training camp back in Miami. Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach Jama Mahlalela stayed to finish the rest of NBA FIT Program in the Philippines.

Say Cheese! Select UAAP players with Coach Spo, Dave Fizdale
and Ateneo Coach Norman Black pose for the cameras.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

It may be the second time that I’ve covered Coach Spo’s visit here but this year has to be the most memorable for me. I somehow got a chance to know more through my coverage of his Philippine visit here. He (Erik Spoelstra) made known his Filipino pride – which is awesome. Yes, he’s American but in more ways he’s definitely Filipino. He literally put the Philippines in the map when he became the first ever Fil-Am to ever coach in the NBA. He made a lot of noise when Quinito Henson, one of the most respected Sports writers and analysts in the Philippines broke the news a few years ago. “I take a lot of pride in being the first Filipino-American head coach in any professional sport in America. I feel great for that. But it’s only one step right now,” says Coach Spo.

Having been under the wing of Pat Riley, one of the greatest coaches in the NBA, he has proven that all his hard work has payed off. To work with someone like of Pat Riley is an honor itself. With hard work you also gotta have respect for the game. Respecting the game and giving back to it is what kept his feet on the ground. And of course he didn’t forget where his roots. “I always made a point to respect the game. You respect the game and what the game means it will respect you back. Respecting the game means working hard not taking it for granted. Having the discipline, trying to learn more and being open to learning more about the game – giving back to as many people as you can and that what this week is all about. Give back to the game while I’m connecting to my roots where my mother is from and I’m also able to hopefully influence the young players.”

Michael Jordan – the GOAT – once spoke about respecting the game of basketball and look where he is now. I'm sure that's a no-brainer.

Coach Spo answers a few questions from BTV's Lia Cruz.
(Photo by: Roy Afable)

Coach Spo not only respects the game but also his profession – his passion for coaching. Teaching the game of basketball is never an easy task. It takes a lot of time nurture a young baller to be the best. That’s just one of the challenges in his job, keeping his ground and staying undaunted from haters is another thing. “It’s always challenging as a coach. There are a lot of obstacles that I don’t really look at. Some people say “hey, you haven’t played in the NBA before”, so that’s a negative. I don’t know, I don’t look at it that way. I don’t look at my age as a negative. I don’t look at maybe the fact that I don’t look like a head coach in the league – I don’t look at it as a negative. I just feel fortunate that I work in this profession; make a living off of it – so, I respect the profession I’m in,” the Fil-Am Coach said. He’s just a class act.


Those are words of wisdom from our very own Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra. Dude truly deserves a lot of credit and respect. He’s believer that one day that a Filipino will make mark in the NBA and he knows how hardworking Filipinos are. Like what Coach Spo said of his feat in the NBA, “it’s only the first step.”


Thanks for giving us Filipinos some love Coach Spo. Stay Classy.


Speaking of challenges, I just hope I get to cover the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 in a few days. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on that one….