How a Spanish basketball journalist fell in love with Gilas

When Spanish basketball writer Sergio Garcia-Ronras heard that five busloads of Filipinos would be traveling to Gudalajara, Spain to watch Gilas Pilipinas compete in tune-up matches, he refused to believe it.

Living close Guadalajara, Garcia-Ronras knew bits and pieces of information about Philippine basketball but he didn’t believe Filipinos would actually fill five buses to Guadalajara.

He was right. The Filipino basketball fans did not fill five buses. They filled seven.

“I thought it was a joke,” Garcia-Ronras said in an e-mail to Yahoo Philippines. "Finally I saw it with my own eyes. There were seven buses of Filipinos who traveled from Madrid. It was unbelievable.”

More than 3,000 people packed the Pabellon Multiusos to watch Gilas play the Dominican Republic in a tune-up game, and Garcia-Ronras said that there were less than 3,000 in there two years ago to watch Real Madrid, one of the most popular local basketball teams in Spain, battle Estudiantes.

“I never expected to see that kind of support in a friendly tournament,” he added.

From that point on, Garcia-Ronras was hooked.

As he is a basketball addict, it’s not too hard to imagine why. He has been writing about the sport since 2000, covering the Euroleague and Spanish ACB League for Telebasket.com and, after that, he wrote for websites, blogs and newspapers. He writes for a couple of newspapers and for Marca.com, Spain’s top sporting website. He’s also a TV basketball analyst for multiple channels.

Garcia-Ronras’ infatuation for Gilas started through consultant Tab Baldwin.

"I worked with Tab Baldwin before and we have a good relationship so when he told me he would be with the Gilas, I started to search for videos and information,” he said. “I know it’s not usual, but I'm a basketball freak so I followed the PBA since 2011 and I know most of the players and, for sure, Andray Blatche.”

What he saw on the court in Guadalajara turned his infatuation to dedication as he saw a familiar passion for basketball.

“For me, the support of the fans was really familiar. Here, in Spain, we felt that way three decades ago, when basketball exploded as the second sport in the country. We were small, we were underrated, we had no physical advantage,” Garcia-Ronras said. “For me, Gilas played that role. They have great fans, they played with team effort, and they never surrendered.”

Living in Madrid, Garcia-Ronras hoped that he could catch a glimpse of Gilas again if the team made in to the round of 16. But when they dropped their opening games, he decided that he couldn’t pass up on the opportunity of watching the Philippine team again.

“I couldn't take that risk [of waiting for them in Madrid] so I just asked for a press credential, took my car, and traveled to Sevilla by my own. I told you before: I'm a basketball freak,” he said.

Garcia-Ronras travelled 600 kilometers by car from Guadalajara to Seville. He didn’t have a hotel booked and wasn’t even sure if his press credentials would get him through but he went there anyway.

“Even though I faced some problems, it was a great experience. Players such as [Jimmy] Alapag, [Marc] Pingris, and [Gabe] Norwood were so close to fans,” he recalled. “I can say now that I was there when Gilas won its first World Cup game in four decades. I was part of a great party. Gilas deserved it.”

Asked who was his favorite player, Garcia-Ronras refused to name just one. “Alapag is a legend. Pingris is the favorite of fans. Norwood…you know, he´s just the president,” he said, like he’s been watching these guys play for a long time.

“As a scout, I was surprised by [Japeth] Aguilar and [June Mar] Fajardo. Aguilar can play European teams now and Fajardo can be ready for the NBA if he keeps working on his footwork.”

Apparently, Garcia-Ronras’ love for Philippine basketball didn’t end after the elimination of Gilas. For him, the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was just a sample of the Philippines’ passion for basketball and he’s looking to get the full experience.

“I'm seriously considering moving to Philippines to follow the PBA,” he said. “I'd like to follow a full season, travel to all arenas, and write about the experience. I think the world of basketball should know what´s happening in your country. It´ll be a great story and a strong promotion for your country as a basketball top destination.”

“I pray you'll host World Cup in 2019. I know that in the Philippines, no arena will be almost empty as what we´re watching right now. The Philippines is basketball heaven.”