MANILA, Philippines – NBA player Cory Joseph set the tone and led the charge for Canada in its win over Turkey, 77-69, during the opening game of the FIBA Manila Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday, July 5, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Joseph, a back-up point guard for the Toronto Raptors, finished with 21 points with 11 coming in the third period to hold off a Turkey rally. He also registered 5 assists and 3 boards. 

Tristan Thompson of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers struggled from the field by going only 3-of-11 from the field but still finished with 10 points and 6 boards while outplaying another NBA big man in Turkish center Omer Asik. 

Asik finished with only 4 points and was a -13 in 10 minutes. Turkey was led by the 14 points of team captain Sinan Guler. Canada shot 42% from the field while the Turks hit only 36% of their attempts

Canada will aim for a 2-0 record and automatic semis berth when it faces Senegal on Wednesday. Turkey faces the same team next on Thursday. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Andray Blatche stunned France with an early wakeup call in their showdown with Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday, July 5.

Blatche, the Philippines' naturalized big man, kicked the game off by stealing a pass from France and returning it all the way to the other end with an emphatic dunk. The quick results must've been a kick for Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who moments earlier performed the ceremonial toss between Blatche and France's Joffrey Lauvergne.

The game is currently ongoing at time of this story's publication.

The Philippines is grouped in Group B with France and New Zealand in the 6-team tournament at Mall of Asia Arena. The winner of the tournament will earn a spot in the basketball tournament at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Jayson Castro let the Philippines know early that he would not be intimidated by playing against the fifth-ranked France.

"The Blur" blew past France's Thomas Heurtel for an and-1 play which put France back on its heels in the second quarter of their showdown in Group B of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines on Tuesday, July 5.

Castro finished with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go along with 3 assists but the Philippines dropped its first match, 93-84.

The Philippines will face New Zealand in a must-win match on Wednesday as the country seeks its first trip to the Olympic basketball tournament since 1972. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After leading France past Gilas Pilipinas on the opening day of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday, July 5, former NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker gave praise to the Philippine crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena and to the guards of the country’s national team.

Parker received loud cheers during the pre-game introductions as expected, but those instantly turned to jeers every time he touched the ball following the opening tip.

“It was unbelievable. The crowd was great,” Parker said anyway during the post-game press conference. “I was looking forward to the game. Obviously basketball is the number one sport in Philippines and it was a big game for them.”

Parker finished with 21 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. France trailed by 10 in the first half after getting hit by an early onslaught from a Philippine side which played with more energy to start the game.

Led by Parker’s mastery of the pick-and-roll, the Frenchmen rallied late in the second period to take a two-point lead to the halftime break. France then extended its lead to as much as 13 in the third period before holding on late in the fourth quarter for the win.

“First of all, I want to [congratulate] the Philippines. They had a great game,” was the first sentence Parker said in the post-game presser. “They had a great game. They were on fire in the first half. They played with a lot of energy, and you have to give a lot of credit to them.”

Nando de Colo led all scorers with 27 points. France shot 54% from the field but its reserves were out-scored by Gilas’ bench, 33-24.

“You can be proud about the team,” Parker also said. “They played a great game, they made it tough on us, and we had to dig deep to try to get the W.”

The 34-year-old Parker was also complimentary of his opposition on the other end of the court. Jayson Castro held his own against the NBA star with 14 points and 3 assists, while Terrence Romeo had 19 points and scored 6 points in an important stretch when the Philippines rallied in the last quarter.

“They were pretty good. They were very aggressive,” said Parker. “They tried to make stuff happen, and they were very aggressive going to the basket and creating shots and stuff for their teammates. They played pretty well.”

France gets a day’s break before playing New Zealand on Thursday. Gilas will be back in action on Wednesday in a do-or-die game against the same team.

Another loss for the Philippines leads to a 0-2 record and automatic elimination.

Parker says he looks forward to playing even more games at the Mall of Asia Arena with number 5-ranked France, which is expected to make the next round.

“I had a great time. The crowd, they tried to push them to try to beat us and it was just a great game. I had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to play more games here. It’s been very good since I arrived here 5 days ago. People are very friendly and Philippines is great for basketball.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Close but no cigar.

The Philippines jumped out to a 10-point lead against France, and hung in tough late but fell to the fifth-ranked team, 93-84, in their first Olympic Qualifying Tournament match on Tuesday, July 5 at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines. 

There were many exciting plays along the way, particularly from the aggressive trio of Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo and Andray Blatche, plus the long-range shooting of Jeff Chan. On the French side, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nando De Colo hade their share of highlights, too.

Before the Philippines moves on to face New Zealand in a must-win match on Thursday, look back at the highlights of the Philippines vs France. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Japeth Aguilar did not see any action when Gilas Pilipinas took on France to open their 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign on Tuesday, July 5. 

The 6-foot-9 forward was the only player not fielded in as the Philippines was defeated, 93-84. 

Head coach Tab Baldwin explained his decision to sit Aguilar, even as the taller French players made life difficult for Gilas. 

“It’s always what you get, what you give up. The decisions you make in terms of substitutions,” he said. “And we felt we wanted the offensive end of the floor covered. We really believed France had the ability to put points on the board. We felt from the very start it was going to be tough to keep their score down and we wanted to but we wanted to do it by scheming. 

“We didn’t think our personnel could just go out there and head-to-head shut them down. We needed to scheme well. 93 points is too much. It’s tough to win international basketball games when you give up that much but we also needed to score.” 

He went on to say that opting to give more minutes to Ranidel De Ocampo and Troy Rosario paid off in that De Ocampo was inside primarily as an offensive option while Rosario gave Gilas “a lot of extra possessions with his work on the boards.”

Despite problems with France’s size, Baldwin emphasized that it was the guards that truly dominated and hurt the Philippine team.

“So yes, we’re going to give something up but the real strength of the French team is their guards. And you see (Tony) Parker and (Nando) De Colo get 48 points between them at such a high percentage, that’s where we felt we had to take care of the mismatch situations that were going to arise,” he explained.

“So we were always going to give up something inside but we didn’t want to compromise too much of the offense moving forward.” 

With the loss, Gilas is now in a must-win situation against New Zealand on Wednesday, July 6. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Once again, Gilas Pilipinas came so very close and painfully fell short of taking down a world basketball powerhouse in a big tournament.

The Philippine national men’s basketball team flirted with a potential historical upset against world number 5 France, only to falter and lose by 9, 93-84, in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament late Tuesday night, July 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

Gilas committed 18 costly turnovers that led to 21 points for the French – many of which came at the worst times during runs against the Filipinos – as well as the Les Bleus’ more experienced and steady guards in Tony Parker and Nando De Colo. 

“From our standpoint – Jayson highlighted the turnovers – too many of them were really when we didn’t have possession or organized our offense, whether we were getting quickly into our offense or more methodically into our offense,” Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin explained in the post-game press conference.

“When the offense broke down and we opted not to establish an offensive flow, that’s when we kind of got into problems because we didn’t space the floor well.”

Baldwin emphasized not giving isolation specialists like Andray Blatche enough space to operate and pointed out that lack of space contributed to the miscues.

“We’re an isolation team, we’re going to play a lot of isolation basketball. But we have to give the guys that are on our team – that are excellent as isolation players – the right spacing. When we fail to do that we can’t expect good results.” 

The Philippines raced to a good start with Blatche opening things up with a dunk off a turnover and executions flowing well enough to eventually build a 10-point lead in the first quarter. France slowly steadied the ship and regained control of the game from then on. 

Gilas inched to within 4 points late in the fourth period but a defensive lapse led to an open Boris Diaw layup that snuffed out the rally. 

Big man June Mar Fajardo pointed out the French team’s experience as a factor in the loss.

“Experience-wise mas lamang sila e pero kaya naman makipagsabayan,” he said. “Nagkamali lang kami, lapses lang kami kaunti.” (Experience-wise they’re better than us but we can compete. We just made mistakes, had some lapses.)

Baldwin alluded to this as well. 

“We got off to, I thought, a great start and we sustained it. But France is one of those teams that they don’t panic, and they shouldn’t with the players that they have. They just continue to pound away, going to their strengths,” he said, before noting how NBA veteran Parker stabilized France.

“I thought Tony Parker took the game over midway in the second quarter. He and (Boris) Diaw really controlled the game. They used the excellent players around them.”

De Colo led France with 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 3 steals while Parker finished with 21 points on 3 triples along with 6 assists. 

“Tony Parker was a handful with the ball screen defense. He exploited it really well, he read our defensive schemes really well. Once we lost the lead we were searching for answers, we made a pretty good run in the fourth quarter and they snuffed it out.” 

Despite another loss that was reminiscent of the tough so-near-yet-so-far defeats of the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Baldwin acknowledged the silver lining. 

“It was a pretty solid performance from Gilas and is something that if we could just play at this level a lot more I think we’d start turning out good results in games like this.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It felt like the same old story again, didn’t it?

Is this how it’s always going to be the case? Close, but not close enough. Good enough to make an impact and instil some fear in the hearts of the opponent, but not enough talent to get the job done? The “puso” was there, but the height too much to handle?

There was Andray Blatche, attacking a passing lane on defense on the first possession of the game and finishing with a rim-rattling dunk to awaken the Mall of Asia Arena which was covered in white, all screaming as one. 

There was Jayson Castro, the best point guard in Asia, penetrating the paint fearlessly to make sure France remembered his name. Tony Parker was the opposition on the other side? Well, it was time he found out who The Blur is. 

There was Terrence Romeo, dancing his way with handles that resembled those of Kyrie Irving, playing around with bigger Frenchmen as he searched for ways to spark the Philippine national team. 

There was Troy Rosario. Jeez, what can you say about this guy? Hustling and diving and battling against bigger men, the walking definition of this basketball team’s - this country’s - battlecry.

There was Calvin Abueva, cheering and screaming from the stands himself, still a member of Gilas even if he didn’t get to wear the uniform and sit on the bench next to his comrades in arms. 

And there was Anthony Bennett of Team Canada watching as a spectator and taking a Snapchat video in the first quarter as the crowd went wild, likely amazed with what was transpiring just like everyone else not from the Philippines at the arena.

Everything seemed perfect at first, the type of opening that makes you believe the final chapter could be a happy ending. Until it wasn’t. 93-84, the Frenchmen prevailed. A 10-point Gilas lead erased, and a win-or-go-home situation comes next. 

For brief moments late Tuesday night, it felt like July 5 would be a place in this country’s rich sports history that could rival the Philippines’ unforgettable win against South Korea 3 years ago - the victory of underdog Gilas against number 5 ranked France.

But then reality struck, reminding us once again that height is might and talent in sports is undefeated.

You have to watch Tony Parker live to appreciate the surgical brilliance he plays with on a basketball court. Not for one second did the former NBA Finals MVP look rattled as Gilas threatened to establish an upset in the first quarter. When he returned with a little over 5 minutes to go in the first half, he took over, and the Philippines played catch up the rest of the way.

Pick and roll after pick and roll after pick and roll. Getting open jumpers for himself - he had 3 3-pointers - when he wasn’t finding open teammates. At 34-year-old, he displayed that speed wasn’t all about athleticism - it also requires timing, elusiveness, and a whole lot of experience. Romeo is a decade younger than the San Antonio Spur and likely leaves him in the dust in a track meet, but every time they matched up on the hardwood, Parker got the best of him.

Nando de Colo is a name the common fan may not be used to hearing, but he sure left a lasting impression Tuesday. He scored 27 points to complement the 21 of Parker. Boris Diaw had 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, playing both inside and out, hurting Gilas in ways more than the box score can show.

France is ranked number 5 in the world for a reason, yet number 28 Gilas stood toe to toe with them. When the hometown team went ahead by double-digits, the excitement in the air was buzzing, but the fear of the inevitable comeback was prevalent too. And then it finally came, with France erecting a 13-point lead of their own, the potential of a blowout looming. The French started to dominate in the paint (they finished with 54 inside points to Gilas’ 34), and the 3-pointers started to fall in.

The good news? It surprisingly didn’t get worse. Screams of “DEFENSE” filled up the arena in Pasay. Romeo started hitting shots, Castro was using lethal side-steps, Blatche was fighting through what looked like a painful ankle injury, France was shooting baskets for Gilas, and then it was a 4-point game with 3:09 to go.

Then this became clear: it was either going to be an epic comeback or another one of those painful defeats that fans of the team have become accustomed to. Gilas water boys by the bench wore shirts that read “Shock the world,” and as I looked at it, I thought for a second that was going to be the case.

What happened the next 3 possessions?

A basket by Diaw.

Misses by Castro and Rosario.

A jumper by Kim Tillie.

It was 89-81 with 2:01 to go. The game was decided with another disappointing defeat - similar to the ones they suffered in Spain against Croatia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico two years ago.

“It was a pretty solid performance from Gilas and is something that if we could just play at this level a lot more I think we’d start turning out good results in games like this,” said Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin after the game.

Baldwin is right. The Philippines committed 18 turnovers and shot 13% worse than France (54-41) from the field. A lot of times, the national team settled for isolation plays over seeking for a better shot attempt out of crisp ball movement - even if Baldwin admits “we’re an isolation team.” Getting out-scored by 20 in the paint, despite the height discrepancy, is too big a number.

Yet despite all the obstacles, the Philippines was in the position to steal a victory down the stretch. A few lucky bounces here and there, and the mood of the country might be different than what it is now. What’s become clear is that when it comes to Gilas, it’s usually either ecstasy or heartbreak.

And that’s what makes Wednesday’s game against New Zealand so exciting. Win, and the national team is in great position to make the next round. Lose, and it ends up going 0-2 in the biggest basketball event the country has hosted in 3 decades. The stakes are high and moments will be made - good or bad.

Regardless of what happens, this much is clear: Gilas always puts its fans on a crazy ride. Wednesday night is going to be the same, and millions of Filipinos across the world are either going to join in on the celebration, or take part in the sorrow.

That’s the Gilas Pilipinas experience for you, and what a journey it is. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – If there is one thing head coach Tab Baldwin finds reassuring about Gilas Pilipinas, it is that his team is built to withstand adversity like true professionals.

After squandering an early lead and losing to France to open their 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign, Baldwin was asked how he would manage his players into letting go of the what-could-have-been in time to focus on the next task at hand. 

Baldwin, known for his candor, showed no trace of worry in that respect when he allowed himself a smile before sharing his wisdom.

“That’s easy. If you’re that unprofessional that you can’t leave a possession behind and leave a game behind because you’ve got an important possession or important game in front of you, then you shouldn’t play at this level,” the 28-year coaching veteran put it bluntly. 

“It stings a little bit because we proved we had a chance in this game. There were a lot of doubters as to whether we could compete. So they feel bad and they feel disappointed but 24 hours take care of a lot of things in life.”

(LIVE: Gilas Pilipinas vs New Zealand – FIBA OQT Manila)

The Philippine national men’s basketball team, which blew an early 10-point lead and lost its surging momentum to the more experience French squad, now braces to overcome another daunting challenge in New Zealand. 

The Philippines, ranked 28th in the world, will try to salvage a victory and hope it will be enough to reach the second round and keep their bid for a Rio Olympics ticket alive. The Tall Blacks, ranked 21st by FIBA, are considered a more manageable foe compared to the powerhouse Les Bleus. 

Baldwin trusts that his men won’t need any histrionics to get themselves locked in on New Zealand. 

“Putting this loss behind us and the importance of tomorrow’s game should do everything that we need,” he said. “I don’t think our coaching staff needs to give any motivational talk. We understand the task. I’m pretty confident the guys are capable of doing it.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Tony Parker, who is in his last tour of national duty with the French team, was greeted by a formidable duo of point guards from the Philippines in his first match at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila, Philippines.

Parker went to battle with Jayson Castro - nicknamed 'The Blur" - and his heir apparent to the Gilas Pilipinas point guard position in Terrence Romeo.

The duo held their own against the former NBA Finals MVP and EuroBasket all-time leading scorer from the San Antonio Spurs, with Castro scoring 14 and Romeo dropping 19 off the bench. Parker managed 21 points while Nando De Colo scored a game-high 27 points as France opened up the tournament with a 93-84 win on Tuesday, July 5.

Watch the epic showdown between one of the best point guards of this generation against two explosive playmakers making a name for themselves on the world scene. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The moment France’s Tony Parker first touched the ball Tuesday night, July 5, the Mall of Asia Arena erupted with an ear-splitting chorus of boos. 

From start to finish, Parker, a veteran NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, never got any love from the home crowd that came to support Gilas Pilipinas. New Zealand, the Philippine team’s next foe on Wednesday, July 6, is expecting no less than the same if not even worse hostility – and they are looking forward to it. 

(WATCH: Gilas Pilipinas vs France highlights)

In fact the Tall Blacks opted to dip their toes into the kind of atmosphere they’d have to face come Wednesday by watching France and the Philippines lock horns Tuesday night, July 5, where the French emerged victorious, 93-84. 

“All the guys came in (for the game) just to experience that atmosphere. I think it was important,” head coach Paul Henare said during a brief conversation with a couple of reporters after the game. 

“For a lot of our guys it’ll be the first time that they played in a crowd like this. And even, not just the size, I think the energy that the crowd creates, it’s fun to be a part of. But I know the guys aren’t intimidated by it. They’re excited to play in front of this crowd.” 

New Zealand took in the sights and sounds of Filipino fans, clad in white, bringing their cheering A-game for the first day of the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. (READ: Parker heaps praise on Philippine crowd, Gilas guards)

The relatively young team, whose average age is 25 years old, will be led by veteran Mika Vukona as well as USA NCAA Division I player Tai Webster, guard Corey Webster, and forward Isaac Fotu.

Though the kind of loud basketball fandom may be new to them, the Tall Blacks are aiming to follow France’s example and keep their composure. Henare noted the calmness of France when Gilas Pilipinas built a 10-point lead early in the game and especially when the home team rallied to within 4 points late in the final frame. 

“(Terrence) Romeo obviously stepped up and made some big baskets for them but the French, they played very composed down the stretch. As great as the crowd were, they just stayed calm and composed.” 

“Philippines made their run and France didn’t look rattled at all, they just stayed with what they’re doing, ran their sets. Didn’t shoot the ball very well down the stretch but came up with some huge offensive boards,” he added. 

New Zealand, ranked 21st in the world, is considered a more manageable foe for the 28th ranked Gilas. And the Philippines certainly gave the 5th ranked France a serious scare Tuesday night.

“No, not at all,” Henare responded when asked if he was surprised by Gilas’ performance. “They’re good basketball players and on an international level, on any given night anyone can beat anyone. It’s happened many times before and it’ll happen again. It’s an old cliche but you have to turn up and play the right way if you want to get wins.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After last night’s loss to France, the home team has to pull out all the stops to get this win or it’s all over.

People have theorized that this match versus New Zealand at Mall of Asia Arena is the winnable one. That is easier said than done.

(LIVE: FIBA Olympic Qualifiers in Manila, Day 2: CAN vs SEN and PHI vs NZL)

Tale of the tape

Average height: Philippines - 6’5”, New Zealand - 6’5”

Average age: Philippines - 29, New Zealand - 25

FIBA Rank: Philippines - 28, New Zealand - 21

What does the Philippines need to do to win this match?

Against France, it was about the good start, hitting those outside shots, and keep the game close. Against New Zealand, it’s a good start, hit those outside shots, pound the ball inside, and play like there is no tomorrow. And that is exactly what it is — a win or go home situation.

The Philippines won’t be looking up at taller defenders. Gilas has the height advantage with Andray Blatche, June Mar Fajardo, and Japeth Aguilar who I figure will play today. If they can get outplay 6-foot-9 Isaac Fotu and 6-foot-9 Michael Karena then they stand a good chance of winning.

(READ: Baldwin explains benching Aguilar against France)

So the battle in the paint is crucial. 

Who should the Philippines watch out for on New Zealand?

Essentially, it is just their starting 5. They are kind of thin and inexperienced as you go down the bench.

Tai Webster is a 6-foot-4 point guard who has extensive international experience (he led TB's in the 2012 OQT in scoring, started for TB's in 2014 World Championships). He's now leading the TBs in minutes & assists. He’s improved his 3-point shooting, is strong at finishing, and has a high learning curve.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. By acquiring Kevin Durant, this Golden State Warriors are again the heavy favorites to win the NBA Championship. There’s no point in debating how easy it would be for them to bulldoze their way into the Finals.

There is, however, a league-wide problem that is starting to brew and that needs to be discussed. The Kevin Durant move has become a cancer, and the league is now in chemotherapy. Some teams are desperately trying to cure the problem, but the same can’t be said for the rest. 

Super-teams are nothing new in the NBA. Some of the biggest league franchises such as the Lakers, Celtics and Heat have orchestrated moves such as this. While it is easy to point out that not all of these teams found immediate success, this new Warriors team is different by a long shot, and other teams have recognized that. 

This is a 73-win team now housing the last 3 league MVPs in Durant (’14) and Stephen Curry (’15 and ’16). Along with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, 4 out of 5 starters are now All-Stars well within their prime. Even their sixth man, Andre Iguodala, is a former All-Star and the 2015 Finals MVP. 

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has since called the signing “the weakest move ever seen from a superstar, plain and simple.” However, the real problem doesn’t lie with Kevin Durant or the Golden State Warriors per se, but rather with the message that they are sending to the rest of the league: Enhance your team, or else you’ll have no chance. 

A few hours after the move, big market teams have frantically worked the phones for short-term solutions. The Dallas Mavericks claimed former Warriors Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes and even Seth Curry, Steph’s biological Splash Brother. The San Antonio Spurs have signed Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol on the heels of Tim Duncan’s rumored retirement. The New York Knicks have signed Orlando Magic starting guard Brandon Jennings even though they already have Derrick Rose. Basically, the teams which have the means are desperately stacking up to match the ungodly power the Warriors suddenly have. 

(READ: Shock, laughs and intrigue: NBA figures react to Durant joining the Warriors)

On the other hand, the remaining free agents are now willing to take huge pay cuts just to have a taste of the Golden (State) opportunity. Former Dallas center and double-double machine Zaza Pachulia recently accepted a one-year, $3 million contract to be the Warriors big man in a time where no-name bigs like Jon Leuer are getting $10 million a year. It’s a sad irony that the smallest markets have to shell out the biggest money just to get a player that fits their system. 

League disaster

This is disastrous for the league long-term. With the league already suffering from a prevalent power imbalance, the inequality this move brings will be more profound and persistent. Since the Warriors have succeeded, there’s no stopping other markets and players from doing the same in the near future. Relevance will be a rarer commodity as smaller-market teams lose any hope of standing a chance against the brighter lights of big cities.

Like a struggling economy, the elite 1% will bask in luxury and excess while the poor will fight for scraps to survive. 

The NBA Draft will also further lose its essence, since a rebuilding plan will be fruitless if a team cannot lure a superstar-caliber player to lure other stars. Drafting a touted prospect seems less appealing to the thought of creating a “Warriosr-like” super-team with established names tested by professional competition.

Much like a dead-end job, players won’t be too enthusiastic to keep playing for a dead-end team. Barring a league-wide mutiny and outright refusal of deals from big markets, rebuilding teams are nothing but trade fodder and salary sponges for players who don’t live up to expectations. 

Chemistry compromised

This single move is the death of healthy and fair competition. Sure, this argument has been previously echoed at the formation of the James-Wade-Bosh super-team in Miami and was by no means invalid back then, but the Durant move is a different situation. Those 3 did not join a team which broke the record for regular season wins but rather a middle-of-the-pack, 48-win playoff team with one superstar tired of carrying all the load.

With the Warriors’ case, the system is there and it is solidly built from the draft. They can afford multiple injuries and still be in the hunt for the title. The pieces are already there. On 3 separate occasions, they were 48 minutes away from the title. They don’t even need Durant. They don’t even need to dismantle the team by dropping Bogut and Barnes to make way for him. Along with their dignity, the Warriors are throwing away the thing that brought them the title in the first place: chemistry. 

Les Carpenter of The Guardian dubbed the Warriors as “the happiest team in sports.” To quote the article, “Suddenly everything made sense to the team’s general manager Bob Myers (after seeing that the team was clowning around after being down 2-1 in the 2015 Finals). “Sitting in the stands I had this epiphany,” Myers says. “I said: ‘I get it! Basketball was supposed to be fun.’”

Last season, the most dominating force in basketball were just having fun en route to a 73-9 record. Everyone was relaxed because they trusted one another on a level that transcends advanced statistics. That chemistry didn’t blossom overnight. It took years of development and failures to make the team have perfect synergy with one another. Dismantling that just to attract another great player is asking for trouble.

Yes, the Warriors choked a 3-1 Finals lead with that team, but that’s the point the Warriors are seemingly missing: they were that close to a second title. They already won a championship with that lineup. It’s like tearing down a house just because it got cracks after an earthquake. If that years-long chemistry was tested and defeated one game at a time last finals, who’s to say that the same won’t happen to a team built overnight? Who’s to say that the ’16-’17 Warriors won’t suffer the same fate as the ’03-’04 Hall of Famer Lakers squad? 

Recent league history has shown that underdogs can and do prevail against all odds. However, unlike stereotypical underdog feel-good stories, the NBA’s version seems a lot hollower, seeing that the championship-snatching Cleveland Cavaliers are already a super-team.The NBA has reached a point where even a “normal” super-team of 3 All-Stars is merely the status quo.

Right now, we are witnessing the birth of a “super” super-team – a ridiculous name and a ridiculous reality we face moving forward. The phenomenon has started and it’s here to stay. 

The NBA has and always been a cutthroat business. Golden State is just getting ahead of the curve, or at least they think they are. – Rappler.com

NEW YORK, USA - German star forward Dirk Nowitzki has agreed to terms on a two-year deal to stay with the Dallas Mavericks, while Spanish star Pau Gasol will join the San Antonio Spurs in NBA free agency deals.

Nowitzki has a two-year deal worth $40 million, The Dallas Morning News and ESPN said about the plans unveiled Tuesday, while Gasol has made a verbal agreement worth $30 million over two years.

"After many days of a lot of thinking, I've decided to join the spurs! Looking forward to this new chapter with the best aspirations!" Gasol tweeted to confirm his deal.

Also Tuesday, San Antonio traded France's Boris Diaw to Utah to clear up cap room to sign Gasol. The Jazz will send the rights to last year's second-round pick Olivier Hanlan to the Spurs.

"Spurs' fans, thanks for all your messages. Great years here and a ring! Leaving but San Antonio will always be a special place to me," Diaw tweeted.

Nowitzki, 38, has spent his entire 18-year career with the Mavericks and ranks sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 29,491 career points.

Under NBA free agency rules, no contracts between teams and players can be signed until Thursday.

Players can however agree verbally to join clubs such as Kevin Durant deciding to leave Oklahoma City for Golden State but nothing is official until signing day.

That blockbuster move has helped Dallas stockpile talent because salary cap limits have forced the Warriors to unload contracts to come to terms with Durant, a four-time NBA scoring champion and former NBA Most Valuable Player.

In addition to Nowitzki, the Mavericks have a 4-year deal worth $94 million with ex-Warrior Harrison Barnes and an agreement for Golden State to trade them Andrew Bogut, an Australian big man who suffered bone bruises in the NBA Finals.

"I'm excited to begin a new chapter in my NBA career in Dallas," Barnes tweeted.

Bogut removed all references to the Warriors from his Twitter account, his photo on the account with him in an Australian national team jersey.

The Mavericks also made a two-year deal worth $6 million for Seth Curry, who averaged 6.8 points a game and shot 45.5 percent from 3-point range last season for Sacramento.

Dallas missed out on bids for Memphis guard Mike Conley and Miami center Hassan Whiteside, who stayed with their current teams, but the new talent gives the Mavericks a chance to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2011 NBA crown.

Gasol, who turns 36 on Wednesday, joins the Spurs after spending the past two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds a game in the 2015-16 campaign and making the All-Star team both seasons.

But the Spaniard declined an offer to stay in Chicago and will make almost double what he would have in staying with the Bulls, who have also lost Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to New York.

Gasol played in Memphis until a 2008 trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won NBA crowns in 2009 and 2010. He has guided the Spanish squad to silver medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and will play in next month's Rio Games. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – When Andray Blatche picked off Tony Parker’s first pass of the game and hightailed it to the opposite end of the floor for a dunk, it signified one thing — the Philippines would be in France’s face all game long.

For the Philippines to have a chance to steal the game, they needed 3 things — to have a good start, to have those triples find the bottom of the net, and keep the game close.

They accomplished that by staying aggressive, battling inside, hitting long range bombs, and moving the ball around. Yet at the end, France’s talent, class, and experience shone through. 

(READ: Disappointment as Gilas squanders early lead, falls to France)

Tony Parker may be past his prime but he certainly brought it (21 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal versus 5 turnovers). When France needed a big bucket, more often than not, he drilled it. The way he saw the floor, read the defense, and looked for the mismatches showed a player of the highest order. 

There was an instance where Terrence Romeo took his eye off Parker for a nano-second. When he returned his gaze, the French point guard was on his way to a lay-up with Ranidel De Ocampo a second too late to block the shot. He gave as good as he was given. 

After a Blatche triple that followed his opening game steal and dunk, Parker answered with a triple of his own. 

When the Philippines’ double teaming efforts forced Boris Diaw farther away from the post, De Colo, Thomas Huertel, Mickael Gelebale, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Kim Tillie attacked the interior. (WATCH: Gilas Pilipinas vs France highlights)

There was an instance (6:30 mark of the fourth period) where Diaw was hovering just below the 3-point line. He threw the ball — notice how they lob those passes where no one can pick it off — inside to Mickael Gelabale who posted up De Ocampo then hit a turn-around baseline jumper. Diaw made a name for himself when he was with the Phoenix Suns for his smooth moves inside the paint and court vision.  

(READ: Parker heaps praise on Philippine crowd, Gilas guards)

Nando De Colo carried the scoring in the second and third periods where France took control of the game. And he did it on both ends of the floor (27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals). His two steals in the end game sealed the deal for France. 

There was a time when neither Parker or De Colo were on the floor but they still got by for a while with Heurtel and Antoine Diot; that underscored their depth and talent that goes beyond their NBA players. 

One of the adjustments Les Bleus made, rather than trade long range shots with the Philippines (as the team in blue shot a poor 25% from the outside) or try to beat them one on one, was to go to their biggest advantage — pound the ball inside. How many drop step moves did Diaw perform? Kim Tillie and Joffrey Lauvergne made a living off the double teams on Diaw. Parker and De Colo posted up their man every chance they got. They played them physical and showed that sleight of hand (simpleng gulang in the vernacular). 

That was the difference: 54 points in the paint to the 34 of the Philippines. That resulted in a 54% accuracy in their field goals. 

I thought that the Philippines gave them a lot of trouble by continuously fighting. 

I loved their willingness to take it to the rack – Jason Castro, Ray Parks, Terrence Romeo. In fact, France got into the penalty situation ahead of the Philippines in the first and second periods. The speedier Filipinos gave France trouble. When Romeo and Parks would drive down the baseline, France guarded against the reverse lay-up but the Filipinos found the cutters from the weak side. Quite a few players hit open shots. 

France only had one more rebound, 38-37, and Gilas beat them on the offensive boards 19-14. 

The ball screen defense was great. I thought that Gilas was almost always in front of their man. 

The bench came through, getting contributions from almost everyone; the Philippines got 33 bench points (the bulk of that coming from Romeo who finished with 19). Troy Rosario and Ray Parks gave a very good account of themselves. 

Some of the old reliables came through — Jeff Chan, De Ocampo, Gabe Norwood.

That 3-point shot was a huge weapon with timely shots falling all throughout. Towards the end of the match, Parker raced down to guard against the drive but Chan pulled up for a triple. And Diaw, perhaps unsure of what De Ocampo could do, gave him the space. Bang! 

But at the end of the day, France was just too much. Les Bleus took the 93-84 win, and get one foot into the next round. 

For the Philippines, there are positives to take from that: that good start, have those outside shots fall that are crucial to their spacing, and staying close to the fifth best team in the world. 

Now, Gilas has to take care of business versus New Zealand to advance to the next round. (READ: Baldwin expects Gilas will steady ship in time for New Zealand) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash is currently in his first visit to the Philippines and has so far been impressed by the passion displayed by the people for the game of basketball.

During a press conference organized by Fun88 on Wednesday, Nash said that “I think it’s fantastic the game is so important here to people.”

Nash is the team manager of the Canadian national basketball team, which is participating along with 5 other nations in the FIBA Manila Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Canada is currently 1-0 after winning its opening game against Turkey.

“Where there’s passion, there’s potential. I think here to play at home is fantastic, not just for this tournament and opportunity to go to the Olympics, but I think it’s fantastic for the growth of the game and this country, because we’ve seen a tremendous golden era of talent in Canada. And with tournaments like this, I think the Philippines can also have their own era of developing talent.”

The 8-time NBA All-Star received a loud applause from the Mall of Asia crowd on Tuesday when he was shown watching on the big screen during a break in the Canada-Turkey game. 

Another win for the Canadians over Senegal would advance them to the next round of the tourney.

“It was a great win. These tournaments, there’s very little margin for error. You can’t give away an opportunity and last night I thought we outplayed Turkey,” said the 8-time All-Star.

“I don’t think either team played great to be honest, but I thought Cory [Joseph] was terrific and led us to victory.”

Joseph, a player for the Toronto Raptors, finished with 21 points and 5 assists in the win.

“We have a young team that’s building and hopefully as the tournament goes on, we get better and give ourselves an opportunity to play for a birth in Rio.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Turkish national team did not hide its disappointed over a 77-69 defeat at the hands of Canada to open the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Tuesday, July 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. 

Head coach Ergin Ataman and team captain Sinan Guler both rued Turkey’s poor offensive showing that left them grasping at straws against a more fluid Canada side. 

“Really bad. Usually we move the offense. But they missed shots, open penetrations,” Ataman said in the post-game press conference. 

Turkey, ranked 8th in the world, shot just 36% total from the field and also missed 20 shots from long range. But of all the bricks, what hurt most was their horrible 19-of-34 free throw shooting. 

“Mainly I think we did not play good on the offensive side of the game. Now, looking at the scores of each period, we played good defense but offensively we couldn’t capitalize on our strengths, especially missing 15 free throws was a big time disadvantage for us.” 

(IN PHOTOS: Canada holds off Turkey in Manila OQT opener)

Turkey also had just 11 assists against Canada’s 17, and they suffered under a slow pace and tight spacing. Down by double digits in the second half, Turkey switched it up and sat down big man Omer Asik to quicken the pace. It resulted in a run to cut the deficit but ultimately was not enough against Canada led by the hot hands of captain Cory Joseph, who had a game-high 21 points. 

“All game we used 61 possessions but only 22 times we get successful to score. That’s too low percentage for us,” coach Ataman said. “We got successful to make it a 6-point game but we weren’t successful to win the game.” 

Ataman likewise emphasized the bad shooting of naturalized point guard Bobby Dixon, whose Turkish name is Ali Muhammed, as he missed all 8 of his attempts from the field in over 20 minutes of play. His plus/minus was -7. 

“I’ve known Bobby Dixon for the past four, five years in Turkey and I think this is the worst game of his career and I don’t think he will repeat this game,” the coach said. 

Asik, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA, finished with just 4 points with only one field goal attempt along with 6 rebounds. He played 10 minutes off the bench and was -13 on the floor. 

Ataman also called out forward Samet Geyik who went 1-of-7 from the field for just 4 points. 

“We played very bad offense. We couldn’t find our offense, Some of our key players had a bad game for us.” 

The tough loss was compounded by an injury to starting swingman Cedi Osman. The 6-foot-7 Osman went down on a play in the final frame clutching his leg and did not return to the game. 

Ataman said Osman may miss the rest of the short tournament. 

“I think he’s not good. Of course now we know in the first 24 hours it’s difficult to undersand what happened. But I think our doctors will send him to the hospital to get an MRI,” he said after the game. “But what the doctor told me is that he can’t play against Senegal. It’s unlucky for us because he was our best player in this bad game.” 

“I don’t think it’s a shin. Also, it’s not knee but something in his leg. Maybe with this injury, you can’t play for two or 3 weeks but we will see,” he added.

Turkey will next play Senegal in a must-win game on Thursday, July 7 to boost their chances of advancing to the next round. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the Rio Olympics in August. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – If anyone knows how much a player can get better under the tutelage of Mike D’Antoni, it’s Steve Nash.

After spending 6 years with the Dallas Mavericks from 1998-2004, Nash returned to the Phoenix Suns for the 2005 NBA season and became the league’s MVP playing in D’Antoni’s 7-seconds-or-less offense. 

Nash repeated as MVP again the following season and the duo helped make the Suns NBA title contenders during the mid 2000s. 

After making stops in New York and Los Angeles, D’Antoni is now the head coach of the Houston Rockets where he will try to duplicate the same success with another NBA star in James Harden.

“I think Coach D’Antoni and James Harden will be a great fit. I think he’ll space the floor, be clever in using James,” Nash said on Wednesday during a Fun88 press conference. 

Harden was the NBA MVP runner-up to Steph Curry in 2015, when the Rockets made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But the following season, Houston stumbled to a 41-41 record and was eliminated in 5 games in the first round of the playoffs.

This past offseason, Houston made key acquisitions by agreeing to contracts with Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson.

“I do think though that the Rockets have been utilizing James in a way that was kind of molded out of the way we played in Phoenix,” Nash said.

“Spacing the floor, getting him in pick and rolls where he can get into the paint and make plays and put pressure in the defense.”

Nash, however, believes his former head coach will make tweaks and help Harden (29.0 PPG, 7.5 APG, 6.1 RPG) take his game to another level.

“So I don’t think a lot will change, but I think Mike will do a great job of refining his game and making him a better player, bringing the best out of him and hopefully turning them into a winning culture.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas, the beloved Philippine national men's basketball team, absorbed a stinging setback to powerhouse France on Tuesday, July 5 to open the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Though frustratingly defeated, the throng of fans who came to see them offered little in the way of disappointment.

The crowd, clad in white by the encouragement of the local basketball federation, dutifully fulfilled the role they've been entrusted with since time immemorial. 

From the time Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte entered the court, performed the ceremonial toss and all the way to the end of another so-close-yet-so-far match, local fans cheered and jeered as expected. 

After ringing "Duterte!" chants, the gallery quickly turned its attention to veteran NBA champion Tony Parker the moment he first touched the rock and booed him to no end, giving the French the rude welcome coach Tab Baldwin hoped would happen months ago. 

As fans pushed their lungs and vocal cords to the limit and proudly displayed their fandom through banners and face paint, Filipinos present at the game created such a hostile, cacophonous environment out of the brightly lit Mall of Asia Arena.

There were moments of uneasy silence as France chipped away at the 10-point lead or when momentum swung and the world number 5 squad imposed its will on a lesser experienced Gilas team.

To that end Gilas mainstay Ranidel De Ocampo had a message, on top of his appreciation for the fans: "Malaking bagay yung crowd. So sana kahit medyo nahahabol yung lamang natin o ano, tuloy pa rin yung pagsigaw nila. Malaking bagay pa rin yun. Nakakatulong yun, lalo kung unti-unting nakakain lamang natin. Sana ganoon ulit sila." 

(The crowd is big for us. I hope even when the opponent is catching up to our lead, they will still keep cheering. It’s very important. It helps, especially in times when our lead is decreasing. I hope they’ll turn up again.)

In those stretches of worried intensity, Marc Pingris, another Gilas veteran, constantly egged the crowd on, raising his hands in the air from the bench and calling out to those in the stands. 

Then, as the Philippines rallied to within 4 points late in the fourth, there was Calvin Abueva — sporting a blue Gilas jacket and watching from behind the bench together with LA Tenorio as the final two cuts for Gilas 4.0.

Though it pained him not to be on the court playing, Abueva did what he always does: making the best out of what he can do. This time it was all about calling out to the people around him to cheer louder and louder. And they responded.

Parker praised the team's resolve as well as the atmosphere he swimmingly weathered through to keep his team composed. 

And in the end, that proved enough for France to triumph.

Though for a losing cause, Gilas Pilipinas' 6th man came through. They are expected to to do the same if not surpass that energy when the Philippines tries to salvage its Rio Olympics hopes against New Zealand on Wednesday, July 6 at 9 pm.

The only difference is, by encouragement again of the local basketball federation, they will be clad in blue.

— Rappler.com

BARCELONA, Spain (2nd Update) - A court in Spain sentenced Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and his father to 21 months in jail for tax fraud and slapped them with a fine of 3.7 million euros ($4.1 million) on Wednesday, July 6.

But these prison sentences are likely to be suspended as is common in Spain for first offenses for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years.

The Argentina and Barcelona star and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi's income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi's image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company. 

The Barcelona court found the Argentina international and his father Jorge Horacio Messi guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi's income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi's image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble or the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi, 29, a 5-time FIFA World Player winner, was fined 2.09 million euros while his father was fined 1.6 million euros.

They can appeal the decision to Spain's Supreme Court.

Both Messi and his father, who has managed his son's affairs since he was a child, were charged with three counts of tax fraud.

Messi, told the court during the 4-day trial that wrapped up on June 4 that he trusted his father with his finances and "knew nothing" about how his wealth was managed.

Prosecutors had asked for Messi to be absolved, arguing there was no evidence that the player was aware of how his income was managed.

But the state attorney representing tax authorities in the trial, Mario Maza, said he found it unlikely that Messi knew nothing about the situation.

"There is no deliberate ignorance here, it's fraud and that's all there is to it, because he didn't want to pay his taxes," he said.

"It's like a crime boss. At the very top is the bigwig who doesn't want to know about the details."

Messi and his father made a voluntary payment of 5.0 million euros - equal to the amount of the alleged unpaid taxes plus interest - in August 2013 after being formally investigated. – Rappler.com