Rafe Bartholomew

Wait, who is this woman? She was the leader of the Crispanatics, the fan group that went not only to every game for this team, but to practices. I mean, this is one of the really endearing and beautiful things about the PBA and Philippine basketball, where it's a professional league that also has this really personal touch. Players know their fans. They know them.

Wait, who is this woman? She was the leader of the Crispanatics, the fan group that went not only to every game for this team, but to practices. I mean, this is one of the really endearing and beautiful things about the PBA and Philippine basketball, where it's a professional league that also has this really personal touch. Players know their fans. They know them.

Wait, who is this woman? She was the leader of the Crispanatics, the fan group that went not only to every game for this team, but to practices. I mean, this is one of the really endearing and beautiful things about the PBA and Philippine basketball, where it's a professional league that also has this really personal touch. Players know their fans. They know them.

people would come and bring spaghetti and pancit noodles for players on their birthdays. And then players would give their fans gifts on their birthdays. It's this really, there's this closeness that still exists to this day between players and fans in the PBA that is, you'll never see anything like it in the NBA. And it's really, it's beautiful.

people would come and bring spaghetti and pancit noodles for players on their birthdays. And then players would give their fans gifts on their birthdays. It's this really, there's this closeness that still exists to this day between players and fans in the PBA that is, you'll never see anything like it in the NBA. And it's really, it's beautiful.

people would come and bring spaghetti and pancit noodles for players on their birthdays. And then players would give their fans gifts on their birthdays. It's this really, there's this closeness that still exists to this day between players and fans in the PBA that is, you'll never see anything like it in the NBA. And it's really, it's beautiful.

I mean, it is a story of American colonialism at the beginning. The United States bought the Philippines as a prize after winning the Spanish-American War. The people of the Philippines did not immediately accept that, and they fought another war of basically conquest that the Americans eventually won, a brutal war of attrition, truly ugly history.

I mean, it is a story of American colonialism at the beginning. The United States bought the Philippines as a prize after winning the Spanish-American War. The people of the Philippines did not immediately accept that, and they fought another war of basically conquest that the Americans eventually won, a brutal war of attrition, truly ugly history.

I mean, it is a story of American colonialism at the beginning. The United States bought the Philippines as a prize after winning the Spanish-American War. The people of the Philippines did not immediately accept that, and they fought another war of basically conquest that the Americans eventually won, a brutal war of attrition, truly ugly history.

Then from 1902 until the beginning of World War II, America administered the Philippines as a colonial territory. there was an American governor of the Philippines. Many of the streets in Metro Manila and around the country, you will notice, are still named after people like McKinley, which may or may not be the name of a mountain these days. I don't even know.

Then from 1902 until the beginning of World War II, America administered the Philippines as a colonial territory. there was an American governor of the Philippines. Many of the streets in Metro Manila and around the country, you will notice, are still named after people like McKinley, which may or may not be the name of a mountain these days. I don't even know.

Then from 1902 until the beginning of World War II, America administered the Philippines as a colonial territory. there was an American governor of the Philippines. Many of the streets in Metro Manila and around the country, you will notice, are still named after people like McKinley, which may or may not be the name of a mountain these days. I don't even know.

Yes. So if you think about this, the first half of the 20th century, the United States is coming in after Spain running the Philippines.

Yes. So if you think about this, the first half of the 20th century, the United States is coming in after Spain running the Philippines.

Yes. So if you think about this, the first half of the 20th century, the United States is coming in after Spain running the Philippines.

The American government... decided we're going to be different by being the soft, gentle colonialists. We're still going to take all the wealth out of the country, but we're the good guys. The basketball side of this story is that the colonial government viewed sports as part of this civilizing mission. So the Philippines wound up getting a very early head start in basketball.

The American government... decided we're going to be different by being the soft, gentle colonialists. We're still going to take all the wealth out of the country, but we're the good guys. The basketball side of this story is that the colonial government viewed sports as part of this civilizing mission. So the Philippines wound up getting a very early head start in basketball.

The American government... decided we're going to be different by being the soft, gentle colonialists. We're still going to take all the wealth out of the country, but we're the good guys. The basketball side of this story is that the colonial government viewed sports as part of this civilizing mission. So the Philippines wound up getting a very early head start in basketball.

Basketball invented in 1891 by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. It arrives in the Philippine public education curriculum in 1912. Filipinos wound up learning how to play basketball sort of before the rest of the world, other than the United States, maybe Canada.

Basketball invented in 1891 by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. It arrives in the Philippine public education curriculum in 1912. Filipinos wound up learning how to play basketball sort of before the rest of the world, other than the United States, maybe Canada.