The gift of thanks

It has been a turbulent season for sport, but one that has also been a growth process for most of us involved in it. And though it may be difficult, I’ve started training myself to be able to give thanks in all things. (Well, almost all things, at any rate.)

So here goes.

Thanks to FIBA for suspending the Philippines from international basketball. It finally forced us to resolve matters after facing the humiliation of not even being able to participate in the ABC Men’s Championship in Shanghai. Thanks, too, to the parties who finally patched up their differences.

Thanks to the Philippine Basketball Association, for once again shouldering the enormous challenge of bringing the Asian Games gold back to the Philippines. Our hearts are with you.

Thanks to De La Salle University for being able to sustain its success. Kudos to coach Franz Pumaren, who preserved his immaculate record for his alma mater. Thanks, too, to Ateneo de Manila. When all is said and done, they fought the good fight, and helped revive the fever for amateur basketball.

Thanks to San Miguel Beer for its sustained excellence. It was not easy, particularly this season, but, still and all, they were always on the mountaintop, slugging it out for the top spot. Thanks to the Red Bull Thunder, for showing how success can be achieved despite relative youth and inexperience. Thanks, especially, to Sta. Lucia Realty, for showing patience of Biblical proportions and distilling it all into a dramatic sixth game win. Congratulations to the franchise born simply out of fondness for the game. And congratulations to Norman Black. Seven years is a long wait.

Thanks to the Metropolitan Basketball Association, for bringing the passion to the countryside. And thanks to its member teams, for not giving up despite the rocky times. Thanks also to ABS-CBN, whose partnership with the league steadied its toddler years.

Thanks to the Andok’s San Juan Knights, who added color to the MBA through simply doing things the way they wanted to. In the MBA’s checkered young history, the Knights left an indelible mark. Like a tattoo.

Thanks to FedEx, especially chairman Bert Lina and president Lito Alvarez. Their overwhelming passion for the game helped give life to the fledgling league, and their departure to the PBA is greeted with fond wishes for their success.

Thanks to the LBC Batangas Blades, for showing class, poise and dignity in crowning themselves champion in the league’s fourth year. Congratulations to Nash Racela, for walking through a shower of bricks about his youth to emerge a true winner.

Thanks to the Negros Slashers, for igniting the passion in the south and keeping it burning hot. Thanks to the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems, for being the backbone of the MBA in the south, regardless of its fate on the hardcourt.

Thanks to Efren Reyes, who expanded his showmanship internationally, and is now the single most recognized name in his sport. His continuing adventures are a constant source of delight for his countrymen. Applause is also due Dorothy Delasin, whose increasing brilliance earned for her another PSA Athlete of the Year Award.

And lastly, personal thanks to those who supported The Basketball Show through its birth and big first steps. Very few believed the fractured basketball community could be united, even if only on one magazine show. Thanks to those who believed, especially those who backed us up.

To Ms. Elvie Go of Columbia International, thank you for first coming to the succor of our basketball team to the Southeast Asian Games, and for sharing their burdens and success. To Rita and Albert Sanson of Pearl of the Pacific, thank you for being there for us first. To Nancy Roxas of World Impact Communications, thank you for sharing your priceless experiences, and showing where the road leads.

To John Alonte of Adidas Philippines, thank you for believing we can all be on the same team. And to Jojo Olegario of BBDO/Guerrero Ortega, thank you for the insights. You’ve made a difference.

To our pioneering sponsors Hawk Bags and Duralite Sandals, thanks for the boost when we were starting out. We look forward to working with you again. And thanks to Rey Ang of Asian Advertising, who gave us a chance when it mattered most.

And thanks to all of those who believed in the dream, theirs and ours. We hope that, in some way, we’ve shown how things can be, and perhaps should be.

Have a blessed Christmas. There is still much to be thankful for.