THE days of cruising to blowout wins against out Asian neighbors are a thing of the past.
That is the stark reality check issued by former Gilas Pilipinas gunner and current Japan B.League import Matthew Wright regarding the rapid evolution of basketball programs in Japan and the rest of Asia.
According to the Strong Group Athletics-Philippines sniper, Filipinos can no longer rely on talent alone to dominate in the region, noting that other Asian nations have narrowed the gap on the long-reigning kings of Southeast Asian basketball.
"It's not like it was in SEABA 2017 where we won by 100 points against all these Asian teams. Those days are gone now," Wright said in an exclusive interview with SPIN.ph.
"I've been on a team where we've lost in the SEA Games before, right? So it's a huge eye-opener, and the rest of Asia has gotten better. Korea and Japan have gotten a lot better. We have to take every game seriously and respect our opponent,” said the 35-year old Fil-Canadian.
Having a closer look through his stint at the Japan B.League where he was recently signed by the Saitama Broncos, Wright has a front-row seat to the basketball revolution happening in the "Land of the Rising Sun”.
He pointed out that the emergence of Japanese-born players in the NBA — such as Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe, and recently, Yuki Kawamura — is merely the byproduct of a massive cultural shift.
"The rise in Japan basketball is no accident," Wright explained.
"Something's going on at the grassroots level in Japan, and basketball is exploding. Obviously, baseball is still the main sport [in Japan], but you're seeing a lot more kids playing outside, a lot more basketball courts being built, and you can see the love of the game starting to grow,” said Wright.
Beyond the grassroots level, the Wright emphasized that the Japan B.League has transformed into one of the premier leagues in the world, with the influx of ex-NBA players and top-tier imports elevating the level of competition and training.
It's not just Japan that Gilas should be worried about, Wright warned.
"I mean, it's not just Japan. Every other country is getting better. Indonesia is getting better, Malaysia is getting better, Thailand is getting better. We don't need any more eye-openers," Wright warned.
Despite the threats from all sides, Matthew remains confident that the Philippines is still among the best basketball nations in the continent — provided the national squad doesn't rest on its laurels.
"I still believe that we are the best Asian team... outside of Australia and New Zealand. I still believe that the Philippines has the best basketball players," he said. "We just need to sharpen up and put the best product on the floor every major tournament."
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