NIC JORGE, known for the creation of the Best Center, an institution that provides basketball training for kids who want to take the next level, was the coach of the Philippine men’s basketball team when the country last hosted the World Basketball Championship in 1978.
Despite facing the difficult task of going up against the best in the world, Mr. Jorge had to utilize his chosen few in the biggest basketball tournament. The team was led by Mon Cruz, Padim Israel and Joy Carpio, who would later on play for the Crispa Redmanizers in the PBA, and Steve Watson, a member of the last Ateneo champion team in the NCAA.
“It’s difficult because the team was split into two,” Mr. Jorge told BusinessWorld. “Mr. Lito Puyat (then the Basketball Association of the Philippines president) wants to win the world juniors championship, so we sent a formidable team there.”
Back in the days, the national team was represented by amateur players, hence PBA players and other pros around the world, are prevented from participating in FIBA-sanctioned events.
“But we cherished the experience of playing against the best of the best. We were simply outclassed and couldn’t match up with the size and experience of the other powerhouse teams,” added Mr. Jorge, also a former coach of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.
The Philippines went on to lose all its seven games, but for Mr. Israel, who later would be known as one of the best defensive players the PBA has ever produced, relished the role as stopper of the best players in the world meet.
“It was a reality check for us as every team is bigger than us. We played zone defense most of the time,” added Mr. Israel. “There’s this Russian player, who was the biggest player I ever saw in the tournament . I remember guarding him in a play and I felt I was just like a patch in his uniform.”
One player that caught Mr. Israel’s attention was Drazen Dalipagic, who became the Most Valuable Player in the tournament.
Mr. Dalipagic averaged 20 points per game while leading Yugoslavia to the world championship. — Rey Joble
