FIBA 3x3: The perils of part-time

You see the fruits, not the roots. 

Many Filipinos were aghast at the loss of the national men’s team to Mongolia in its first outing at the on-going FIBA 3x3 World Cup at the Philippine Arena. The come-from-behind win by the visitors stung the hosts, since Filipinos take pride in their basketball prowess. After the loss, people wondered: who were those guys?

Historically, basketball has not been one of the top three sports in Mongolia. Those are horse racing, wrestling and archery, which have all been useful given the country’s long history of conquest and combat. Horse races are done over long distances, much like motorcycle or bicycle races throughout Europe. Obviously, the goal is to maintain tradition, and not to make it to the Olympic Games. Wrestling is done upright and generally outdoors, similar to today’s mixed martial arts, but with little to no striking involved. In the Mongolian Naadam festival, some matches can last hours, as long as both competitors remain standing. The long history of wrestling has given rise to interest in sumo wrestling, judo and boxing among students. A handful of Mongolian sumo wrestlers have made names for themselves in Japan. Archery has been around since the 11th century.

Basketball is a recent addition to the Mongolian repertoire. Though not as widespread there as it is in other Asian countries, it has caught on in the last quarter of a century. They play a game called “buunduh”, which is free for all, and wherein the first player to score six to eight baskets can have the lowest-scoring player removed from the game. Basketball started to grow in the country in the 1990’s, when it transitioned to a free market economy. As was originally envisioned by James Naismith, basketball is played indoors year-round in Mongolia, even in winter. This coincides with the increasing urbanization in the country. 

The Mongolian public’s first major exposure to the sport was the dominating performance of the 1992 US Olympic team, the “Dream Team”. This was also when Russian players started participating in Mongolian leagues. At the same time, American media and culture has made inroads into this young market. Basketball in the street or in public courts, is “cool” in Mongolia.

There are two basketball organizations in the country. The Mongolian Basketball Association (MBA) is recognized by both the national government and FIBA. The Mongolian National Basketball Association (MNBA) organizes the pro Super League. Apparently recognizing that they would be unable to compete at the highest level in 5-on-5, the Mongolian Basketball Association chose to make 3-on-3 its niche. They were the 2017 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup champions, and were the runners-up to Australia this year. Mongolia chooses to host international tournaments to further strengthen its teams. Their players have developed decent size, good outside shooting, and a surprising physicality that is ideal for the half-court game.

What are the lessons here?

First, 3x3 has become a different game. The rules on fouls make it more challenging for an offensive team to score, harking back to the highly physical nature of the street game. You have no time to complain, because the opponent can score very quickly, because, secondly, the transition is very fast. One quick pass beyond the two-point line, and you get scored on. The pace of the game is simply too fast. Thirdly, most foreign teams opt to have three or four tall players on their roster, avoiding mismatches on defense. Even the guards are taller than average. Thus, the quick substitution pattern lessens the opportunities for opponents to post up smaller guards.

The two Philippine teams have roughly two months to prepare, knowing they would be stacked up against the top 20 teams in the world. Now, it is clear that it was not enough. True, there have been moments of brilliance. Stanley Pringle (Player of the Day for Day 2) is unstoppable in isolation. RR Pogoy hits crucial outside shots. But lack of familiarity with the rules, unnecessary technical fouls for interfering with opponents’ inbounds plays, and surprise at the rough play were the marginal differences against Mongolia. This resulted in that painful home loss, in full view of the country’s basketball hierarchy.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has done everything humanly possible to give the Philippines the best exposure to top global competition. You can’t say enough about the manpower and resources devoted to building up to a fighting chance to get into the Olympics. However, in terms of 3x3, the country needs specialists, players who play this variation of basketball, play it together, and play it exclusively. That’s how the Philippines can win, by respecting this iteration of the game. If the players are trained for 3x3 and live and breathe it, then the country has a better shot at qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Granted, there is not enough local competition to justify the salaries of a full-time 3x3 team, but that is how it has to be done. The players have to travel more. The competition is overseas. That’s the same quandary in tennis, figure skating and other sports. They either make it abroad, or not at all. And either the players agree to earning less than they would if they played in the PBA, or there would have to be a sponsor willing to pay them as much.

You see the fruits, not the roots. Shallow roots, no fruit.