SCARCE as the chances may have been, Philippine basketball has made the most of its opportunities to prove that it still belongs among the elite teams in Asia this past year.
Gilas Pilipinas in 2021
Gilas Pilipinas, trotting a youthful pool without any professional players, defied expectations and made strong showings in the tournaments it participated this year.
The same can be said for Gilas Pilipinas Women which fought against all odds to maintain its place in the continent.
For the men's side, a big reason for its success was the extensive preparations it had, spending at least three months inside its training bubble at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba before waging war in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Clark.
Building that cohesion was the x-factor for Gilas as it swept its three assignments, including a pair of pulsating victories over Korea back in June.
That chemistry also led to coach Tab Baldwin unearthing new stars in the process: from Dwight Ramos claiming the baton to be the team's unquestionable go-to guy to the ascension of new key cogs like feisty guards SJ Belangel and RJ Abarrientos and fearless forwards Justine Baltazar and Carl Tamayo, just to name a few.
What also needs to be mentioned was the steady presence provided by naturalized player Ange Kouame, further proof of the commitment that Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has in investing on the future, as he played perfect music up front with wunderkind Kai Sotto from Clark to Belgrade in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Although Gilas failed to punch a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics there in Serbia, it gave everyone a glimpse on what next could be for the national team -- with all eyes firmly set on the 2023 Fiba World Cup to be held here in the country.
As for the distaff side, it was a rather silent year yet the girls of coach Pat Aquino maximized on what they had to remain in Division A of the Fiba Women's Asia Cup.
Provided barely a month to train at Summit Point Golf & Country Club in Lipa and missing a key piece in Jack Animam who turned professional in Serbia, Gilas Women went to its young wards and brought in the likes of Ella Fajardo and Camille Clarin to beef up an undersized yet still determined national team.
Success, however, proved to be elusive when the team flew to Amman in September as it got waylaid by fancied opposition like Japan, China, and Australia.
Those losses, though, only fueled the crew to continue learning and when placed in a sink-or-swim moment against India, the Filipinas showed their courage buoyed by superb showings from mainstays Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, and Khate Castillo to preserve the country's place in the continent's top-tier.
Gilas Women may still be far from the level of its peers in Asia, but with the strides that women's basketball has had in the country, as well as the potential influx of new discoveries abroad, there's no question that our national team is treading the right path.
Despite those positives, Philippine basketball has also had its share of downsides, more notably the paltry showing the nation had in the Fiba 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament where the team of Joshua Munzon, Santi Santillan, CJ Perez, and Mo Tautuaa failed to bag a victory in Graz back in May.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the nation, all the more for program director Ronnie Magsanoc, yet the shortcoming only served as an eye-opener that the halfcourt game is indeed a different beast of its own compared to its five-a-side counterpart.
Fortunately, measures are already being done to avert the same disaster, specifically on the formation of the PBA 3x3 which is groomed to be the hub of national team pool members for future international 3x3 competitions.
Safe to say, the lessons that Philippine basketball and SBP took in 2021 can only set us up for a better 2022 and beyond.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph