TONY Mitchell’s basketball journey has taken him from the hardcourt of the NBA to playing in cement courts of far-flung barangays in the Philippines.
And the 34-year-old wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now in his third tour of duty in the PBA, this time as an import of guest team Macau Black Knights, Mitchell got himself all tuned up by playing in Panalay games in different provinces as probably the highest-profile player to ever suit up in the country’s famed ligang labas culture.
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“Initially I was playing with the Naic Aces in the Asian Tournament, that’s how I came back to the country in general,” Mitchell shared to SPIN.ph.
“From there, everybody kind of figured out that I came back to the country – some of my friends, former teammates offered me to play in different cities and different islands. It kind of happened organically, really,” he continued.
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For the players and the fans in those games, the experience must have been crazy. Imagine a player who was good enough to get drafted and play a few games in the NBA, all of a sudden suit up for your barangay team out of nowhere.
The love goes both ways as Mitchell had nothing but good things to say about the experience.
“It was amazing. It’s really a blessing. I love Panalay. I love the fans in Panalay. I love the whole environment, I love everything about it, it was really cool,” he continued.
Mitchell is so ingrained in the Filipino basketball culture now to the point that he’s even participated in some of the videos of popular basketball content creators online like Boss Atan – where he was a ref in that one-on-one game.
“Boss Atan is really funny, bro. He’s an entertaining guy,” Mitchell said, his face lighting up when SPIN.ph reminded him of that time.
“I didn’t know, you know what, I didn’t know he was taking the game that serious before though. He’s very serious about winning that one-on-one game. I like him man, he got good energy, he’s a great guy ."
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There are only a few imports who’ve not only embraced the basketball culture in the country, but the entire country in itself, and Mitchell is certainly one of those.
While some have understandably struggled adjusting to life here in the Philippines, those who went out of their comfort zones and embraced everything that this country has to offer – both good and bad – will only get to experience the love that Mitchell feels here.
“Being in this country is like home to me,” he said.
“I’m very comfortable here, man. It’s just the whole country, the food, the fans, the people, the lifestyle. Everything in general man. It’s just cool,” he added, while confirming that he can speak the language now for a bit, evident when he’s calling the referees kuya when he’s addressing them.
“Yeah diba? Of course I know a little bit [of the language] but I wouldn’t want to speak too much, but I definitely know a little bit. “
At 34, Mitchell might never be a suitable candidate for naturalization for the Gilas Pilipinas national team.
But he doesn’t need to go through the process to be a Filipino.
By virtue of the streets, and all those times spent in Panalay, he already is.
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