Ginebra: Naka-Move On Na Ba Ang Barangay?

Ginebra: Naka-Move On Na Ba Ang Barangay?



With his Goliath-like frame, his skin color, and his Gin Kings crimson shirt, he was unmistakeable. So the fans, two men about half his size, approached him for pictures. He obliged. He smiled and waved as the fans took turns posing. He was probably impatiently waiting for his siopao and his LAX flight. But as he had probably already learned, life in the Barangay was all about the fans. So he obliged.

Vernon Macklin had obliged the Barangay the whole conference. He was a vital cog to the Ginebra Machinery that defied all odds. He was part of the team that resurrected itself from a 0-4 start. Then defeated Air21 twice in the playoffs. Then they were forced to defeat the Tropang Texters two straight times because the Texters had pushed them to the brink of elimination. He helped the team as best as he could in the Finals against Alaska. But he was hurt. He was choked by a defense that had been waiting for him for weeks.

Now, he’s going home. At least physically, he’s moving on.



Elsewhere in the city is LA Tenorio. A week or so after being proclaimed Best Player of the Conference, he is probably asking himself if he could have played better. If he could have done something different to lift his team again. He had lifted them, especially in the playoffs, with precision-passing and spitfire shooting. He was the axis on which the whole Ginebra universe spun. He forged relationships, the fruits of which were apparent on court: with Macklin, with Helterbrand, with Urbiztondo. He’s the kind of player that’s easy to love because he just gives and gives to those around him – his family, his fans, his teammates. But even he found that he finally had nothing more of himself to give. Tenorio, though, also knows, as that great Ginebra ad said, “Bilog ang Mundo.” Sometimes you rise from the ashes. Sometimes, you get burned to dust. Three in a row.

Elsewhere is Cagouia. Probably still nursing his injury. Probably frustrated that he could not be with his team on the court for more minutes. But he knows life in the Barangay is not just about losses and wins. It’s about coming back again and again to play again and again. Just like how you actually play in the Liga all over the Philippines. There’s always next time.

Elsewhere is Helterbrand. Hatfield. Raymundo. Urbiztondo. Still recuperating from injuries. Still reeling from the shock of going from crowd darling to doormat.

It’s like an Ally Mcbeal (or if you prefer something more recent, Suits) closing scene. The lead characters with their unresolved problems are given the spotlight for a second or two. Cross dissolves. With soft music to accompany them.

But the hurt here is not made up. The Gin Kings feel it in every muscle of their body. And in their sleep, they see Calvin Abueva, smirking and slitting his throat with his thumb.

Naubusan lang ba talaga sila ng laman sa tangke? Alfrancis Chua might have hit it right one the dot when, after congratulating Alaska, “Swerte rin sila, pagod na pagod na ang mga bata…” Alaska might have been the better team, but he probably would have loved to slug it out with the Milkmen while his team was on full power.

Coach Norman Black of the Tropang Texters also said before the Final Four began, that the healthiest team would eventually be the champions. San Mig Coffee was missing the fully-operational James Yap. The Texters had… well… too many injuries to mention. Ginebra was missing Cagouia. And in the run-up to the matches against Alaska, the Kings had been battered.

Maraming tanong siyempre ang nasa utak ng Gin Kings. Paano kung nanalo sila nung Game 3? Game 3 lang, pare. Game 3 lang. Ma-pressure kaya ang Alaska after nun? Tapos may konting pahinga after din nun. So makaka-habol nang konti ang baga at muscles ng Gin Kings. Pero siyempre, ganun talaga siguro ang mga haka-haka. Parang pagsisisi, nasa huli.

Not that the rest of the Ginebra faithful are ashamed of their team. No way in hell. They had hoped until the last minute that the Gin Kings still had a comeback in them. And even after the final buzzer had sounded and the balloons had fallen and even lost their air, the Ginebra faithful are still, well, faithful. They had, probably at the very
least, expected more of a fight from this series that was a flashback from the 90s. A bit more lead changes. A bit more nail-biting moments. A bit more tension. Alas, Alaska would never grant them even that fleeting joy.

Much has been written about how Alaska had come back to the top of the PBA world. That this is historical because they have proven that they can win without Tim Cone. That they built their team through wise trades and good draft picks. That they balanced their newfound talent with the wiles and steady leadership of veterans. But this conference also belonged to Barangay Ginebra.

Hindi nga sila nag-champion, pero minsan, hindi mo kailangang maging champion para ang kuwento mo ang maging bukambibig ng buong bansa. Tulad ni Rocky sa Rocky 1. Tulad ni Pacquiao. Tulad ng Gin Kings. They seized our imagination this whole season, and made us believe once again in the power of never saying die.

Maraming nagsasabing pikon ang Ginebra fans. Hindi marunong matalo. True, I’ve met a lot of Ginebra fans who just won’t listen to reason even after a 20-point drubbing (dinaya kami! Madaya! Madaya!). I wouldn’t put it past the most hardcore of Barangay fans to still say they were cheated even if they were swept convincingly.

But the majority know how to lose.

Ang Ginebra fan – alam niya na bilog ang mundo. Alam niyang minsan mananalo ka, minsan matatalo ka. Ganun naman talaga di ba? We all lose sometimes. Pero ang mahalaga, na alam ng Ginebra fan, ay naniniwala kang kaya mong lumaban uli. If Filipinos are the most optimistic humans on the face of the planet, Ginebra fans are the most optimistic of Filipinos. Not that they don’t know reality. Not that they don’t know how the odds are stacked against them. More often, it’s precisely because they are acutely aware of the odds and what they’ve lost, that they can actually rally their spirit to the moment. It’s just that they know three words, and those three words also embody the Pinoy’s own fight against the hardships in his country: Never. Say. Die.

Photo c/o InterAKTV

Source: Slamonlineph.com