What if Steve Nash is a Filipino?
I read Jim Caple's article about Steve Nash's Canadian city of Victoria, often making references to it as Nashville (yes, the same as the one in Tennessee) -- in honor of this year's NBA Most Valuable Player. With his humble demeanor and no-tattoo display, Nash is a rarity among the field and an ideal model of the league in reviving its deeply tarnished image caused by drug abuse, domestic violence and to some extent, selfishness ("I told you I needed to feed my family (sic) that’s not going to cut it. And I’m not going to sit here and continue to give my children food while this front office takes money out of my pocket", noted an NBA player who was offered $21 for three year extension).
Nash's humble beginnings as a basketball player came as a secondary option to his sport while growing up: hockey and football player born in South Africa and raised in Canada with aspirations of hitting it big in the hardcourt.
Unbelievable work ethic made him what he is right now: he shoots the ball by the hundreds and never leaves the court until he hits his goal for the day. Exuding confidence of the game sans experience enabled him to send letters and videos to dozens of colleges and universities in hopes of getting a scholarship. Nobody paid attention. And who would, to a six-footer from an obscure Canadian city whose interest in basketball is next to hockey and baseball and whose basketball's biggest name at the time was Bill Wennington?
The Phoenix Suns is indeed gifted with staff with prophetic vision in drafting college players as if putting them inside a machine and prints out their statistics 5 or 10 years in the future. When Steve Nash was drafted by the Suns 15th overall in the 1996 draft, fans did not agree and boos were heard. Playing alongside stars such as Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd, Nash would eventually get traded to Dallas where his stock rose to unprecedented heights and ironically, never get rewarded with a decent contract extension by the Mavs. Phoenix came again knocking, asking if Nash could give himself a chance to play for the team that drafted him. His reply: "I am a Sun".
The rest was history.
But what if Steve Nash was a Filipino?
Old school talk, right. But considering the culture of Filipinos to extremely pamper its very own heroes in their (our) effort to redeem a race tarnished with bad publicity on violence against the press, graft and corruption and garbage problem, the idea could even drive the economy upward. Of course it's hard to make him an honorary Filipino citizen for no reason and that slow slow, pace of bureaucratic process.
Dorothy Delasin and Jennifer Rosales are a Fil-Ams golfer so is tennis's Cecil Mamiit but get as much, if not more, attention than the other Filino athletes, notably because of their play. Jasmine Trias, from Hawaii is more popular than any of the noontime hosts of both GMA7 and ABSCBN you see every weekday. Quinito Henson raves about Fil-Am athletes who are not in the Philippines, such as boxer Brian Villoria. Don't forget the heroic acts of Filipino American Generals such as Gen Soriano and Gen Taguba, who initiated an investigation on Iraq abuses by the coalition forces. The outpouring of support eventually left out the true blooded Filipinos, in the PBA for example where Asi Taulava and Danny Siegle lording over the others.
Along with previous unproven claims that one of Metallica members has Filipino roots only show that whoever has the credentials, no matter if 1% of his or her blood is Filipino, the whole nation will readily embrace him/her.
If Steve Nash were a Filipino? The country would be in pandemonium. I see Speaker Jose De Venecia calling a bill to make February 7 a Steve Nash Day holiday. Or Prospero Nograles file a move to replace the generic Circumferential Road in Davao City to Nash Road. He would later defend the move by asking you a question, "Which is easier to prunounce?".
There will be countless photo ops at Malacañang with the President telling Nash that can visit the Palace everyday without prior appointment. In GMA's propaganda billboards, she is seen in the with Steve Nash promoting sports in a remote barrio in Camarines Sur, Eastern Samar or Kalinga. Okay, everywhere. Within ten years he finds himself in the seat of Philippine Olympic Committee or Philippine Sports Commission. If he shuns sports politics and sticks to the game he became famous for, he will coach Alaska Milk, San Miguel or Talk N Text, teams in the PBA with history of hiring non-Filipino coaches. Okay, not applicable as we say "what if Steve Nash is a Filipino".
Just like the sympathy Onyok Velasco got when he lost to Daniel Petrov Bojilov in the Olympics, Nash would get greater sympathy if the Suns lose the Spurs in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Spurs image would be worse than the Atlanta Hawks and Tim Duncan will be labeled a villain superstar. All these in the name of fanaticism and hopes of getting the ultimate goal of championship that's equivalent to winning the first ever gold medal for the Philippines in the Olympics.
Some sari-sari stores will have products like Steve Chicharon or Steve Nash Energy Drink and could easily rename their store with the star's. No offense to him, he would get dozens and dozens of endorsements (I know he won't accept most offers) leaving other actors and basketball players for other means of extra income.
Star Cinema and GMA Films will bid for the right to film his bio and the rival networks will court him earnestly to be part of Kapuso or Kapamilya as show host on a sports show (even if the trend is somewhat outdated). Hopefully, he won't get involved with the scandals of Philippine show business propagated by the ignorant devils. Surely, pirated DVDs of Steve Nash NBA plays are gonna spread across the country and his book "Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA" becomes an instant best seller.
Free-wheeling Globe and Smart will dig into its deep pockets and bag of tricks to make him the top endorser. "Calling Canada? Smart gets it done". Oh, Canada.
The love for basketball would be unprecedented that lotto and jueteng players would leave their usual junctions and prefer to watch the PBA -- and place their bets.
What if Steve Nash is a Filipino? Maybe even for a day?
Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891, yet Canadians could hardly name a star produced in the sport until Steve Nash came along. To the ever-hospitable Filipinos, he will be nurtured till the end.
Nash's humble beginnings as a basketball player came as a secondary option to his sport while growing up: hockey and football player born in South Africa and raised in Canada with aspirations of hitting it big in the hardcourt.
Unbelievable work ethic made him what he is right now: he shoots the ball by the hundreds and never leaves the court until he hits his goal for the day. Exuding confidence of the game sans experience enabled him to send letters and videos to dozens of colleges and universities in hopes of getting a scholarship. Nobody paid attention. And who would, to a six-footer from an obscure Canadian city whose interest in basketball is next to hockey and baseball and whose basketball's biggest name at the time was Bill Wennington?
The Phoenix Suns is indeed gifted with staff with prophetic vision in drafting college players as if putting them inside a machine and prints out their statistics 5 or 10 years in the future. When Steve Nash was drafted by the Suns 15th overall in the 1996 draft, fans did not agree and boos were heard. Playing alongside stars such as Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd, Nash would eventually get traded to Dallas where his stock rose to unprecedented heights and ironically, never get rewarded with a decent contract extension by the Mavs. Phoenix came again knocking, asking if Nash could give himself a chance to play for the team that drafted him. His reply: "I am a Sun".
The rest was history.
But what if Steve Nash was a Filipino?
Old school talk, right. But considering the culture of Filipinos to extremely pamper its very own heroes in their (our) effort to redeem a race tarnished with bad publicity on violence against the press, graft and corruption and garbage problem, the idea could even drive the economy upward. Of course it's hard to make him an honorary Filipino citizen for no reason and that slow slow, pace of bureaucratic process.
Dorothy Delasin and Jennifer Rosales are a Fil-Ams golfer so is tennis's Cecil Mamiit but get as much, if not more, attention than the other Filino athletes, notably because of their play. Jasmine Trias, from Hawaii is more popular than any of the noontime hosts of both GMA7 and ABSCBN you see every weekday. Quinito Henson raves about Fil-Am athletes who are not in the Philippines, such as boxer Brian Villoria. Don't forget the heroic acts of Filipino American Generals such as Gen Soriano and Gen Taguba, who initiated an investigation on Iraq abuses by the coalition forces. The outpouring of support eventually left out the true blooded Filipinos, in the PBA for example where Asi Taulava and Danny Siegle lording over the others.
Along with previous unproven claims that one of Metallica members has Filipino roots only show that whoever has the credentials, no matter if 1% of his or her blood is Filipino, the whole nation will readily embrace him/her.
If Steve Nash were a Filipino? The country would be in pandemonium. I see Speaker Jose De Venecia calling a bill to make February 7 a Steve Nash Day holiday. Or Prospero Nograles file a move to replace the generic Circumferential Road in Davao City to Nash Road. He would later defend the move by asking you a question, "Which is easier to prunounce?".
There will be countless photo ops at Malacañang with the President telling Nash that can visit the Palace everyday without prior appointment. In GMA's propaganda billboards, she is seen in the with Steve Nash promoting sports in a remote barrio in Camarines Sur, Eastern Samar or Kalinga. Okay, everywhere. Within ten years he finds himself in the seat of Philippine Olympic Committee or Philippine Sports Commission. If he shuns sports politics and sticks to the game he became famous for, he will coach Alaska Milk, San Miguel or Talk N Text, teams in the PBA with history of hiring non-Filipino coaches. Okay, not applicable as we say "what if Steve Nash is a Filipino".
Just like the sympathy Onyok Velasco got when he lost to Daniel Petrov Bojilov in the Olympics, Nash would get greater sympathy if the Suns lose the Spurs in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Spurs image would be worse than the Atlanta Hawks and Tim Duncan will be labeled a villain superstar. All these in the name of fanaticism and hopes of getting the ultimate goal of championship that's equivalent to winning the first ever gold medal for the Philippines in the Olympics.
Some sari-sari stores will have products like Steve Chicharon or Steve Nash Energy Drink and could easily rename their store with the star's. No offense to him, he would get dozens and dozens of endorsements (I know he won't accept most offers) leaving other actors and basketball players for other means of extra income.
Star Cinema and GMA Films will bid for the right to film his bio and the rival networks will court him earnestly to be part of Kapuso or Kapamilya as show host on a sports show (even if the trend is somewhat outdated). Hopefully, he won't get involved with the scandals of Philippine show business propagated by the ignorant devils. Surely, pirated DVDs of Steve Nash NBA plays are gonna spread across the country and his book "Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA" becomes an instant best seller.
Free-wheeling Globe and Smart will dig into its deep pockets and bag of tricks to make him the top endorser. "Calling Canada? Smart gets it done". Oh, Canada.
The love for basketball would be unprecedented that lotto and jueteng players would leave their usual junctions and prefer to watch the PBA -- and place their bets.
What if Steve Nash is a Filipino? Maybe even for a day?
Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891, yet Canadians could hardly name a star produced in the sport until Steve Nash came along. To the ever-hospitable Filipinos, he will be nurtured till the end.
posted by Unknown at
8:00 AM
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