DEATH KNEEL FOR NEGROS BASKETBALL?

I was at game 2 of the best-of-three championship series of Negros Basketball Association at the Po Hang gym of the Tay Tung High School, the 'mecca' of basketball in this side of this hoop- crazy country.

The common view was it was not a 'championship' basketball match in the truest sense of the word. But as many commented after the game, it was 'lousy'. Ticel- Iloilo composed of basketball has- beens reinforced by struggling local talents as they made minced meat of their opponents, the underachieving Rams of the University of Negros Occidental- Recoletos. I would not even dare look at the scoreboards.

How the tournament was organized, played and the barren seats at the venue leaves much to be desired. And as I tried to find answers,more questions arise.

Gone were the days when Bacolod was the 'hotbed' of basketball after Cebu and outside Metro Manila wher the big leagues are. Bacolod saw the rise of talents in the pro ranks starting with the Foxy Francis Arnaiz in the days where basketball shorts were really short shorts(pun intended). To the days of the lady killer Yves Dignadice from neighboring Iloilo but made a name playing hoops here where he was discovered by scouts that landed him a slot in the national team of Ron Jacobs. Enforcer Rudy Distrito who carried his nickname proudly on his breast off and on the court also hailed from the squalid street games of Magsungay.Retired pros Wilmer Ong, Noli Locsin and Boyet Fernandez honed their skills in Bacolod. Topping the list among the active players in the Philippine Basketball Association who has roots here is former MVP James Yap, the Mr. Kris Aquino. It is a long list.

But, those were bygone days, the peak of basketball in Bacolod and Negros Occidental.Gone were the days when the local collegiate hoop wars and NBA games at the Po Hang gym drew fans to the rafters who shout their hearts out in support of their favorite players and teams and jeer at bungling plays and the inconsistent calls of referees if not the KSP antics of Vic Tan. There were even times when games were settled after the games and fans especially the girlfriends,wives even mothers rush to the middle of the court because of 'dirty' plays. There was even a time when the tournaments were covered by both local radio and television media. Now, they are just memories of days long gone.

Now, aside from the Mustangs of the West Negros University lording it over the local collegiate wars in the past decade or so, the level of competition has plummetted to below zero. Thanks to the dedication of Dodong Bascon, head honcho of NBA, Mr. Basketball himself and remains synonymous with the game as are Jaworski to the PBA and Jordan, Magic, Kobe and Lebron to the American original.

But, what would happen to the league, as my friend Cyrus Garde asked in his column in the Negros Daily Bulletin, if Mr. Dodong calls it quitys and finally decides to enter the political arena, which many quarters in the city has egged him to do? Who would be man enough to take over the reins of the NBA and organize tournaments that would satisfy the basketball palate of dedicated fans.

Do we hear the death kneel of Negros basketball?