Nov. 14 happens to be my birthday, so I'm really happy that I've none other than Manny Pacquiao to receive a gift from, courtesy of his winning his upcoming fight. And with that unrelated intro, here're his videos from his interview on Jimmy Kimmel last night.

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Ok sorry again for the late post. I can name a few excuses but let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

As of my last posting, there have been recent developments directly as a result of the PBA's decision to declare Smart Gilas' games as no - bearing, which we'll get into later. For the moment, let's analyze the PBA Press Release I posted 5 days ago, starting with:

Jong Uichico's “It is unfortunate that the PBA teams play the National Team always looking to win.”

I am 100% convinced that what Jong Uichico wanted to say didn't come out the way he said it. In other words, I think what he really meant was: "It is unfortunate that the PBA teams play the National Team always looking to win [at any cost, including using rough play]. That's GOT to be what he really meant to say, right? I mean, the alternative, which is to read what he said face - value, means that he thinks PBA teams should play to lose when up against Smart-Gilas, which is stupid, and Jong Uichico is not stupid, right?

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Please find forthwith the latest news re Smart Gilas and the PBA from the PBA Sports Desk received this afternoon:

Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Sonny Barrios wrote the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas yesterday regarding the participation of the Smart Gilas National Team in the ongoing 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.

Barrios said the Board directed him to choose only between two options: 1) for Smart Gilas games to have no bearing even on PBA teams, and 2) for Smart Gilas not to play CJ Giles in any of its remaining games that will have a bearing on the PBA teams.

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Yup this blog's been quiet. Blame it on working on my other blogs and stuff (yada excuses yada yada). But hey why not let's get right back into it, starting with a vid re the top 10 plays of the 2009-2010 season!!

I gotta say that Kevin Durant (#10) dunk is damn exciting. It's great to see someone whom was all just potential finally coming up and playing like an All Star like we all expected him to, and not racking up hospital bills or doing other stuff not happening on the court. And yes I'm talking about Greg Oden.

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Fresh from the PBA Mailing List:

The Philippine Basketball Association yesterday handed down its severest penalty to date, suspending veteran Burger King guard Wynne Arboleda without pay for the rest of the 2009-10 Season.

Arboleda, who was earlier called for his second flagrant foul in the game, went after a heckler at courtside during the Whoppers’ game against Smart-Gilas at the Araneta Coliseum last Friday, landing a kick and some punches before being restrained by cooler heads.

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Still no PLDT service where I live, so blogging, let alone liveblogging, is an issue. Caught UE's 88-68 Game 2 thrashing of ADMU however, so I'm glad to be able to share my thoughts. Forthwith:

It's wonderful to see UE in the finals - Not to say it'd not have been cool to see an FEU - ADMU finals, it's just there's something great about seeing a team that didn't plan on being in the Finals to be in the Finals. That's got to do something for UE's self-confidence, and in the world of College sports I've always reckoned team confidence as far more valuable than any factor including individual player performances and stats. True they lost Game 1, but I didn't necessarily see UE lose because they weren a lesser team. Rather, they lost because they didn't make the right plays and push the right buttons. This Game 2 win showed they have the ability, and applied it appropriately (particularly, in team defense), while ADMU found itself in the same hole UE was in Game 1.

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Ok let's start off with what you need to know.

First off, Rebound Magazine September / October Issue #2 should be available at National Bookstore now. This lays to rest questions re where and where to buy it when I wrote about it the first time it came out.

Second, it's the last issue of the year, with a 3rd issue, I am assured, in the works for next. As such, congratulations are in order to the publisher, editors and writers behind it because obviously we wouldn't even be talking about a 3rd issue if the 1st one wasn't a hit.

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According to a letter issued by a CHED OIC Director, former ADMU player Jobe Nkemakolam, previously the subject of yet another UAAP Men's Basketball controversy, was eligible for College and therefore cleared to play during the time he was on their roster.

To recall, a certain Atty. Levito Baligod filed a complaint with the UAAP Board, claiming that Nkemakolam was not qualified to enter College and therefore ineligible. He presented evidence ie. a CHED statement issued Sept. 3, 2009 stating that Nkemakolam “has not met the academic requirements to graduate from high school, hence, he is not qualified for admission to college.” The document was signed by a Lilian B. Enriquez, Officer-in-Charge, Director III. Reports via inboundpass and uaapsports.com.

Also contested by Baligod was Nkemakolam's graduating from Reedley International School, providing evidence stating the school has no record of his attendance for Grade 12, the equivalent of 4th Year High School.

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Do you know what's rare in the NBA? Or in most pro, or even top amateur sports for that matter? No, not a 7 footer with great handles. No, not even a white guy Caucasian with hops. What's truly rare is a self-effacing, humble yet smart and intelligent athlete, but with skills. And when I say that, I mean someone who can play and act like a pro, knows, respects and understands the game yet doesn't feel the need to slap it in everyone's face like he's the biggest thing around (because he's already a big thing).

How rare is it? It's about as rare as a hiphop artist not going on about how big a house he has or how many honeys hang around him. It's about as rare as a reader of this blog who understands what 'self-effacing' means. You know, really rare.

Which is why I bring you a pic of disguised Steve Nash playing street hoops in China.

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I gotta admit I'm grasping at straws here. The UAAP Finals are still a few weeks away, and even then my team's almost nearly out the door (and deservedly so, since, well, let's admit it, they suck this year). At any rate, here's a look around what's going on, not necessarily in all of basketball, but mostly what's gotten me interested:

Rubio to stay in Spain - If you need more proof how drafts aren't all that relevant, then here it is. What was mostly considered the second coming of Pistol Pete has decided to wait out till he's 21 to play with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who owns his rights from when the NBA draft was held last June.

My opinion? Good for him. At 19 he has a world of opportunity available to him to improve even more in Europe, which is even better than a kid in the US trying to improve via competing in the College ranks. Sure the 'Wolves are gonna miss out on a crowd drawer, and they worked their ass off trying to get this deal, but you can't fault a kid for wanting to get better first and staying home. Heck, you can't even fault the kid for changing his mind because he's exactly that - a kid, and as such prone to such things.

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Been sick lately and it hasn't been fun to say the least. Hasn't stopped me from watching a bunch of games though, opinions on which forthwith:

UST - DLSU: I liveblogged that one and obviously, watched it from tip to double overtime end. Much like most observers I was going to give it to UST but let me say it again, over and over: I've learned better than to pre-judge a Franz Pumaren team. Year after year he comes in with a seemingly rag-tag bunch of guys from nowhere and he either gets to the Finals or takes the whole thing, so I'm not gonna fall into the same trap this year.

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By now it's obvious. Alaska is clearly outclassing Talk N' Text, and not by doing anything particularly outstanding on their own. Oh of course they are playing well, and by that I mean they are executing their plays and generally carrying out an overall plan. In pressure situations when everything is helter skelter, they keep their act together, and when they do screw up as all teams inevitably do, they manage to address it quickly so as not to derail them from their ultimate goal.

Sharp contrast is the term I use for the other side. Talk N' Text can and does come out breathing fire at times, but it is largely unsustainable. This 2nd game, Ren-Ren Ritualo looked close to expending himself to score points for his team. While the effort is laudable he will obviously need to work with everyone else at some point, and sadly this was not the case.

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Basketball has always been, for me, a source of knowledge and wisdom. Allow me to go all mushy on you for the moment, as I explain my point. Growing up in a tumultous environment there were times when I needed stability in my life, something easy that I understood and did not judge me, and believe it or not the game played an important part in finding that.

Does that sound crazy? I'm sure it does. But believe me when I say my young life was not how I wanted it to be and I didn't have much say in it. Looking back, and without getting into details (which are unnecessary anyway), I knew I was a bored, directionless, angry and confused kid. Many of my friends were into drugs readily available in our neighborhood, and suffice it to say that lifestyle was easy if I wanted it. It was certainly in abundance if I did.

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