Gilas Pilipinas is back in the country carrying all the lessons it gained from its botched title hunt in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah.
But instead of treating it as a mere defeat, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) should take the heartbreaking setback as a brutal wake-up call to improve the national team program that has been struggling to win the Asia Cup title for the past 40 years.
There is no doubt the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is determined to assemble the best Filipino squad.
In fact, shortly after hosting the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, it took the drastic move of replacing Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes with Tim Cone, the most successful mentor in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The gamble paid a handsome reward.
From Reyes’ much admired — but often criticized — style and swagger, Gilas Pilipinas suddenly became simple and effective using the tried and tested formula that gave glory to the seasoned American tactician. Gilas Pilipinas went on to rule the 19th Asian Games in China, a feat that was greatly celebrated back home as it marked the end of a 64-year title drought.
But the Asia Cup is a different animal.
With taller, more athletic players from Australia and New Zealand in the fray, the SBP was pressured to come up with a longer preparation and a more solid roster to capture the Asia Cup crown that has eluded the Filipinos since 1985.
Sad to say, it didn’t happen.
Cone struggled to go full blast in training as the PBA players appeared exhausted from a grueling Philippine Cup campaign. Heck, June Mar Fajardo and Calvin Oftana, two players who played in the Philippine Cup finals, even showed up injured, prompting Cone to flirt with the idea of drafting RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario.
True enough, the struggles of Gilas in its preparation had a massive impact on its Asia Cup performance. They opened their campaign with back-to-back losses to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand before restoring order against Saudi Arabia to clinch a slot in the playoffs for the quarterfinals.
The Filipinos, however, struggled to beat Asian minnow Saudi Arabia in the playoffs, setting the stage for a 24-point demolition by Australia, 80-64, in the quarterfinals.
The SBP should pick up a lot of lessons from this ill-fated campaign.
We know it’s not going to be easy, but the federation should keep a group of players solely dedicated to the Gilas program. Remember when Serbian Rajko Toroman drafted all the best college players and put them in a squad that did nothing but play in various international events? That system can be emulated but only if the federation has the political will to do so.
If the federation can’t duplicate that previous model, then it should strike a partnership with the PBA so that key players would be released to the national team at least a month before a major tournament. Also, the SBP should start preparing for the future and bring in the young guns, knowing that the clock is ticking on 37-year-old Justin Brownlee and the likes of Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar.
Assembling a national team that is capable of bringing back the glory is never easy. It’s going to be a long, lonely — and very expensive — process for the federation and its stakeholders.
But Filipinos are passionate about basketball. For them, it’s not just a sport; it’s a solace in times of despair brought by the challenges of everyday life. They want to win — now.
It’s time for the SBP to act.