The parity paradox

The tremendous finals series between Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco has set fire to the imagination of millions of PBA fans. The trade proposal between Kia and San Miguel Beer keeps discussions about heroes and black hats going. Facts, impressions, theories and conclusions all seem to weigh the same in the accompanying blended discussion/argument.

Crispa and Toyota created the formula of paying more for the best talent, essentially throwing money into building championships. Great Taste Coffee, using deeply experienced veterans from the dispersed Crispa and Toyota teams and the incomparable Ricardo Brown, modified the formula and won four titles in a row. In a more regulated league, is parity really possible?

What it boils down to is intent. Are all the teams really bent on winning, or are some just along for the ride? This is the question fans have trouble answering in any sports league. The problem is that it’s hard to prove intent, or pin down what the intent is.

In European football, the weakest teams are relegated to the purgatory of a lower division. In basketball, there are usually no lower tiers, so another mechanism for balance had to be invented: the draft. The weakest teams get a shot at the best available incoming talent. But some people see it as rewarding mediocrity, particularly when teams are perceived to lose on purpose just to acquire the next phenom who’s turning pro. That is the crux of the upset PBA fans have expressed, jumping to the conclusion that San Miguel Beer just wants to win – and that’s okay – but that Kia does not, and they don’t like it.

There are other points of consideration if you are a PBA team owner. The broadcasts are a powerful advertising tool, and for most of the teams that represent retail products, the exposure translates directly into increased sales. But what if merely being in the PBA is already a cost-effective advertising strategy? What if, at a certain point, winning does not really make a difference anymore? Each game is a two and a half hour commercial for your brand seen by millions of people internationally. Each newspaper story mentions the brand by name multiple times. Food for thought.

The draft seems like a good idea, if not for intervening and succeeding events. Players still get traded, injured, fight with coaches, are unable to adapt, retire, and so on. The draft is a calculated risk, as is the trade. Just look at the percentage of top draft picks who didn’t really make a difference, and are either bench players or out of the league entirely. It is still a big leap.

Super teams hastily assembled don’t fulfill their promise. It’s been tried in the NBA many times: the Portland Trailblazers of the 1990’s, the Los Angeles Lakers with Karl Malone and Gary Payton, the earlier teams LeBron James was on. This San Miguel Beer squad was built over time, and has hit its peak. How long it stays there depends on the players’ health and overall chemistry. The Boston Celtics did it in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Crispa, Toyota and Great Taste had them.

Why is college basketball so compelling? It’s the belief that a weak team can beat a strong team on any given day. A few years ago, UP beat both De La Salle and Ateneo despite losing to almost everyone else. That was a great story. The upset restores our faith in the possible. Filipinos live a good underdog tale. It is who we are. And we also love a great rivalry. 

The PBA is a constant presence in Filipinos’ lives. It takes time to form impressions, positive or negative. It takes time to correct notions, real or mistaken. The league simply has to be consistent in upholding its own vision and mission, and everything works out in time.