Why The PBA Needs Chris Tiu.

By Migi

I grew up during a time when the Philippine Basketball Association enjoyed its most fruitful years. Barangay Ginebra stood as the league's most popular team, as evidenced by its massive fanbase. Cagers like Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Benjie Paras dominated sports headlines. Imports like Tony Harris and Lamont Strothers wowed local audiences with their flashy brand of basketball.

And yes, Dodot Jaworski nabbed himself a "pity" contract when I was in my latter years in elementary school.

All in all, hoopsfans like me saw the PBA as a dynamic league which was all about action, drama, and passion.

Over the years, though, the PBA has seemingly taken a few steps back rather than marched forward. Ticket sales are down, and the general notoriety of the league's players and teams seem to be stuck in a constant mudslide towards an uncertain future. The games have gotten stale due to "cane and walker" paces, squads and players have become less and less identifiable due to the fact that the league's structure can be defined as more "commercial" rather than "affinity based" (ala the groupings in the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association), and the general hype has fallen off kilter because of an aged eliminations-semis-finals format that advocates predictability rather than the good sort of suspense. Old rivalries have all but died, and rather than cultivate an outstanding pool of players for potential recruitment for the National Team, the PBA, in recent time, has tended to favor showcasing international recruits and half breeds towards planting the seeds of a style of basketball better suited for taller Western ballers, a slate of methods rooted more in "showtime" exploits rather than in raw basketball fundamentals.

What can the PBA do, then, to help bolster its image and generate renewed interested Pinoy basketball fanatics?

One beneficial course of action, I think, would be to make sure that Ateneo standout Chris Tiu gets drafted next year instead of him making a byline for an office, clad in a coat and tie as opposed to sneakers and a baller uniform.

As odd as it might sound to, more or less, hinge a lot of a country's professional basketball league's hopes on an amateur cager, I honestly believe that the 23 year old sharpshooter from Loyola Heights could very well be what the PBA needs to get back on track. Firstly, there is no doubting Tiu's basketball skill. In 4 games in UAAP 71, Tiu has averages 15 points and 4.8 rebounds in 29.5 minutes of action. More importantly, he has acted as a stabilizing force for the Eagles during crunch time situations, either through shrewd playmaking decisions, or clutch shots, several of which, have now been indelibly stamped onto the pages of UAAP lore. Secondly, Tiu has an established fanbase composed not only of hardcore amateur cage fans (mostly girls), but also, of those who familiar with basketball's ins and outs. Like it or not, the former Xavier High School star and aspiring entrepreneur has become quite a celebrity on and off campus during his nearly 5 years in Ateneo De Manila. From astringent commercials to shampoo endorsement campaigns, Tiu's Boy-Next-Door looks and soft-spoken, non-threatening, demeanor has endeared himself to a society that has a tendency to glorify its celebrities, especially when such notable personalities are athletes, thespians, or politicians, and or when they are mestizos/mestizas, or Chinitos/Chinitas. In this case, however, it should be mentioned that Chris Tiu's popularity is well-founded, not only because of what he brings to the table as a basketballer, but also because of, and so they say, what he brings personality-wise, and in terms of intellect (he's been a consistent honor student during his tenure as an Ateneo pupil).

Back in the day, there was a similarly debonaire cager by the name of Alvin Patrimonio who took the league by storm not only because of his stellar on-court exploits, but also due to the persona he furthered, one which portrayed him as mabait, maamo, magalang, and unabashedly puno ng puso, one who never gave up no matter how bleak certain situations would seem for him and his team. "The Captain" was the PBA's poster boy for the late 80's and throughout most of the 1990's. He gave the league such good press that, naturally, while Ginebra was association's most popular team, Purefoods (the team Patrimonio played for until his late 30's), became the PBA's lightning rod for expanding its reach to untapped markets. Mothers, sisters, ates, manangs, and lolas who otherwise wouldn't give a hoot about Jaworski, Samboy Lim, or how tall EJ Feihl really was, now were glued onto IBC 13 or PTV 4 because of the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, and because of its babyface frontcourt tandem of former UP Fighting Maroon Jerry Codinera, and of course, Patrimonio. Chris Tiu has the opportunity to do something similarly significant for today's purportedly "astig" PBA. Tiu has an edge over players like Enrico Villanueva, James Yap, and Mark Cardona towards becoming the league's posterchild because of his unassuming demeanor, and his projected image which is pretty much built on solid effort coupled with humility, smarts, and a whole lot of pride sans an unfounded swagger. Cardona and Yap seem to be too controversial. Villanueva is a babyface, but then, his aggressive play (and well, size) is such that he's projected as hip, and kind, but still a little bit, "unapproachable".

There is always room in the PBA for shooters (guys like Ren Ren Ritualo and Larry Fonacier have made a living on the perimeter), and the fact that #17 is a clutch player only adds to his overall market value. Tiu's savvy on the outside, and his constantly improving defensive game, should make him a coveted player come draft time, and his already vast fanbase is something that PBA spin doctors wouldn't mind transplanting into their backyard. Today's PBA lacks a player most can associate with without feeling alienated, or intimidated. Today's PBA needs a shot in the arm, in the sense that it needs a player who is skilled enough to lead a team without dominating the ball, a player who can serve as a "role model" of sorts for aspiring cagers without "older folks" worrying about him poisoning the minds of the youth with an incriminating video, cussing, or on-court trash talking and other forms of unbridled aggression. Today's PBA needs someone who can, generally speaking, give the league good, intelligent press across all demographics. Today's PBA needs a sports entertainer, without compromising balance on either the "sports" or the "entertainment" variables in the equation.

Throw in funding for regional development, and an affinity-based team system and you're off.

Bring back Toyota-Crispa, sans the fighting. Bring back Alvin, Jerry, El Presidente, . Bring back the crowds. Bring back erudite sports marketing which touches every fan being a "hoops analyst" as opposed to a mere "hoops pundit". Bring back the "glory days" of Philippine professional basketball.

Take a step in the right direction. Bring in some holistic potential. Bring in someone who can not only fill seats, but fill seats for all the right reasons, and more.

Bring in a boon as opposed to reeling in a bane.

Bring in Chris Tiu.

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