THE future of Philippine basketball looks locked, secured and, yes, rosy as Gilas Pilipinas heads to 2025.And there are many reasons why Filipino basketball fans can feel real upbeat heading to the brand-new year.Since Tim Cone took over as head coach of Gilas Pilipinas, the national squad has made groundbreaking achievements on the global stage.Coming at the heels of the 2023 Asian Games gold medal achievement in Hangzhou, China, Gilas opened 2024 with lopsided victories over Hong Kong (94-64) in an away game in February, followed by a 106-53 crushing triumph against Taiwan in Manila for a two-game sweep of the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.After taking a few months of respite to give way to the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup won by Meralco, Cone and the national squad wasted no time reconvening in the third week of June, making good use of the short period to prepare for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia, in July.Gilas got the needed challenge from the Samuel Deguara and Alex Cabagnot-led Taiwan Mustangs, 74-64, in the first of its three tune-up games, just before the national squad left for its trip to Europe.Shortly upon arriving in Europe, Gilas embarked on a two-game pre-OQT against world-class basketball squads, falling short against Turkey, 74-83, followed by a narrow 80-82 decision to Poland.The three pre-Olympic Qualifying games served Gilas in good stead as the national team opened the actual tournament in Riga with a famous 89-80 win against host nation and world No. 6 ranked Latvia.That stunning nine-point marked the first time the Philippines defeated a European team in 64 years, even as the national squad aimed to put an emphatic end to its 52-year wait to return to the Olympic men's basketball tournament.And though Gilas lost to Georgia in a close match to end the group stage, the Philippines' victory against Latvia was enough to seal a semifinal tussle with Brazil.Brazil, however, had other things in mind.With Tissot FIBA OQT Most Valuable Player Bruno Caboclo taking over in the second half, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds, as well as former LA Lakers guard Marcelo Huertas contributing 13 and seven assists, Brazil punched Gilas in the mouth with its 71-60 win, thus putting an end to the Philippines' Olympic hopes.Undoubtedly, Gilas lost a valuable rim protector after young big man Kai Sotto sustained a rib injury during its game against Georgia.Strong to the finishBut knowing Cone's no-quit attitude, the American ensured Gilas learned its lessons from the failed Olympic bid by the time the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers second window rolled by in November.Sure, there was that setback at the front court once more when Filipino Cypriot big man AJ Edu reported to Gilas training camp in Calamba, Laguna, with a knee injury he sustained while playing for his Japan B.League ball club Nagasaki Velca in early November.The 6-foot-10 Edu missed the first window as well last February.But adversity in basketball tournaments is nothing new to Cone.With Kai Sotto getting the clearance to play after being placed under concussion protocol under the Japan B.League, Gilas was all business from there.Sure, the Philippines lost its first four head-to-head games against New Zealand in FIBA tournaments dating back to the OQT edition 2016.But playing right before its hometown crowd and armed with its own OQT lessons from Riga, Gilas Pilipinas put together a unified approach spearheaded by no less than the 7-foot-3 Sotto.Playing with great confidence under an equally great motivator in Cone, Sotto produced a solid all-around effort of 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, to go along with two steals and two blocks as the Filipinos subdued the physical and rugged Tall Blacks, 93-89.The Philippines then put an emphatic end to its home game by clobbering Hong Kong, 93-54, to improve to 4-0 in the qualifiers while, more importantly, sealing the country's spot in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 slated in August 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Not resting on its laurelsCone, the PBA's all-time winningest coach with 25 PBA titles, is not resting on the laurels of Gilas at this point.In fact, despite the massive gains of the Philippine team this year, Cone admitted the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas leadership will take the time to reevaluate the basketball program under him.He expects tweaks here and there for Gilas Pilipinas, but then again, Cone is confident that Philippine basketball is in good hands under federation president Al Panlilio.As the team looks ahead to the early part of 2025, Cone said they don't plan to slow down, especially when the national team prepares for two away games in the third window next February.The Philippines plays its first away game against Taiwan on Feb. 20, 2025, before flying to New Zealand to face the Tall Blacks anew three days later.'If we win those games, then it would mean we get a higher seeding in the FIBA Asia tournament, and we can avoid playing Australia, New Zealand or Japan in the quarters or semifinals,' Cone said in his recent interview at the Power and Play sports program. 'So they are very important for us to get there if we want to do well in FIBA Asia.'Of course, seeing sweet-shooting big man Bennie Boatwright secure his Philippine citizenship could aid well in Gilas' quest for greatness.Naturalized player Justin Brownlee, 36, has done his share of elevating the game of Gilas Pilipinas on the world stage because of his blue-collar attitude and team first approach.But to up the level of the Philippines, a younger naturalized player will be needed for the Philippines to sustain its impressive gains in the last two years.Philippine basketball is undoubtedly heading in the right direction, having taken significant steps for the national basketball program.And who knows, barring any injuries, the Philippines could even seal a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a feat the country last achieved in the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany.
