The Reaper

He is arguably one of the best one-on-one players in the country. Most people in large cities have never heard of him. But if you ask the players in the street, those who work up a sweat on concrete or asphalt basketball courts in slippers or bare feet the noonday sun know him. Even in farflung, remote barangays, they’ve seen him play in person. Though he barely scratches 5’5,” he is feared, as much for his outrageous skill as his ability to embarrass opponents. A throwback to in your face street basketball from the 1990s, he is known as The Reaper.

Erricson Gabay grew up in an isolated area in Batangas, where there was not much mainstream basketball. There were also very few talents to hero worship. Local players were hard to come by.

“I was not really a basketball player at first, “Gabay told The STAR and Basketball Universe PHL. “I was really into track and field, high jump and long jump. My uncles in Batangas were known for basketball. I watched them a lot, and liked it. But my height did not follow.”

He had the speed, but not much else. After grade school, his family moved to Metro Manila, where he started hanging out with urban streetball legends like Niño “Lil Flash” Ventura. In his amazement, Erricson wanted to emulate the incredible handles, imaginative moves and insane tricks. Even in confined spaces and under tight guarding, guys like him found a way to get to the hoop. The meek little Erricson gradually transformed into his feared alter ego.

“There are two reasons why I wanted to become an entertainer,” The Reaper explains. “First of all, I really like making people happy. A lot of what we see on social media now is guys hurting each other. I don’t care if I lose, as long as people have a good time, and I leave happy memories. Also, I knew I could make it a career, but in a different way.”

Streetball and 3-on-3 first emerged on the back street of New York. It became a staple of Philippine basketball when it gained prominence in the 1990s. It has faded somewhat, but thanks to those who remember the past, it is now experiencing a resurgence. And at the forefront are The Reaper and his mates with Filipino Mixtape, the HoopVan Project, Hoop Bus, and others. They go where nobody else does, into the smaller communities that are often neglected. They inspire the sweaty masses in Thor shirts and slippers, that with a little imagination and a lot of effort, you can escape and make something of yourself.

Maybe that is the advantage of not being talk. You see things through a regular Filipino’s eye level. You meet people where they are, and they can relate to you. You may appear tiny to others, but those who know you understand that you can be a killer on the basketball court. That is what makes The Reaper so effective. He is Juan de la Cruz. He is also a kind of superhero who can conquer any court.

The story of The Reaper will be on Basketball Universe PHL tonight on YouTube and Facebook.