By The Bohol Tribune Editorial Board
Gilas Pilipinas made history on Friday night, October 6, 2023, by winning the gold
medal in men’s basketball at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The Philippines defeated Jordan, 70-60, in the finals to end a six-decade-long dry
spell in the continental tournament.
It was the country’s first basketball gold since winning the first four editions (1951,
1954, 1958, 1962) and first finals appearance since losing to China in 1990 Beijing.
The victory was a sweet redemption for Gilas Pilipinas, which suffered a humiliating
87-62 loss to Jordan in the group stage last week.
The Filipinos bounced back from that setback and showed their resilience and
determination in the knockout rounds.
They beat Qatar, 80-41, in the quarterfinals and Iran, 84-83, and host China in the
semifinals, with one point, to set up a rematch with Jordan for the gold.
Gilas Pilipinas was led by naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who had a stellar
performance with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Brownlee was the team’s go-to guy throughout the tournament, averaging 21.8
points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
He also hit clutch shots and played solid defense against Jordan’s star Rondae
Hollis-Jefferson.
Ange Kouame, another naturalized player who recently acquired his Filipino
citizenship, also stepped up for Gilas Pilipinas with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Kouame was a force inside the paint, altering shots and grabbing boards for the
Filipinos.
He also had a crucial block on Hollis-Jefferson in the fourth quarter that sparked a 9-
0 run for Gilas Pilipinas to pull away from Jordan.
Chris Newsome and Scottie Thompson also contributed to Gilas Pilipinas’ triumph
with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Newsome provided energy and athleticism off the bench, while Thompson displayed
his all-around game and leadership on the court.
The two guards also helped limit Jordan’s perimeter shooting, which was their main
weapon in their previous encounter.
Hollis-Jefferson was the lone bright spot for Jordan, scoring 24 points on a dismal 7-
of-27 shooting from the field. He also had nine rebounds and six assists, but he
could not get enough support from his teammates.
Freddy Ibrahim was the only other Jordanian player who scored in double figures
with 10 points.
Gilas Pilipinas’ gold medal feat was a testament to the coaching brilliance of Tim
Cone, who took over the national team on short notice after Chot Reyes resigned
following a disappointing FIBA World Cup campaign.
Cone, who is the most decorated coach in Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
history with 25 titles including two Grand Slams, implemented his trademark triangle
offense and instilled discipline and teamwork among his players.
Cone also made history by becoming the first coach to win both a FIBA Asia Cup
(2013) and an Asian Games gold medal.
He also matched the achievement of Carlos Loyzaga, who led the Philippines to its
last Asian Games gold medal as a player-coach in 1962 in Jakarta.
Loyzaga, who passed away in 2016, is considered as one of the greatest Filipino
basketball players of all time and a FIBA Hall of Famer.
Gilas Pilipinas’ gold medal victory was a proud moment for Philippine basketball,
which has been longing for glory in the international stage.
The Filipinos also proved that they can compete with the best teams in Asia despite
their height disadvantage and lack of preparation time.
Gilas Pilipinas gave hope and inspiration to millions of Filipinos who love and support
basketball as their national sport.